The Trials
by StarfireWildheart
Summary: This story picks up after The Hunted. Drew and Rick are making strides in their recoveries and getting their lives back together. They are taking time to enjoy the little things in life as well as taking on the monsters most men are afraid of.
1. Chapter 1

Drew checked his hair in the rearview mirror then got out of the truck. It had been a long six months but with the help of his grandfather's money and business contacts the new facility was almost complete. They would be opening the doors in two weeks. It was groundbreaking in all areas. They had managed to get the top psychiatrists, counselors and therapists available and have them willing to work with all insurances and they had surgeons who were willing to do pro bono work to even try to help remove the lingering physical injuries of victims.

He never thought in all of his life that he would own and operate an advocacy center for sexual assault victims. Once his story was out there over time people would whisper 'thank you' as they'd walk past him or just step up and shake his hand and say 'it took guts.' He realized that people were still afraid to talk about things that happened and he could fix that. Yep everything in Drew Alister's life was coming up stars right now. There was only one thing left he need to take care of.

Rick walked out the door waving goodbye to his assistant Peggy. "See you Monday. Give Jessie a hug for me."

"Will do Cap! Have a good one."

As soon as he was outside he saw Drew leaning against the truck. "Hey," he smiled melting against him when he was pulled in for a kiss. "What's this?" He knew that Drew was normally getting ready for his shift right now.

"I have the night off and I wanted to spend it with my man, if that's ok?"

"Hum I don't know. Do I know this man? I mean what is he like?" he teased.

"He's amazing. Great kisser. Fun to hang out with really and I sort of have a surprise for him."

"I like surprises," he smiled and let Drew push him into the truck and buckle him in.

"Yeah? Where can I drop you off officer so I can go meet my boyfriend?"

Rick hit him in the shoulder and they both laughed. "Jerk!"

"Yes," he agreed, "but you love me."

They soon pulled onto a secluded street with a long driveway. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he was so excited he could barely contain himself. He really hoped Rick was going to like it.

His breath caught in his throat as they approached the big house. Rick had been idly searching for houses on his computer for a while dreaming of one day having his very own home with Drew but he'd never told Drew or showed him any of the pictures. Yet his favorite house was sitting right in front of him. He hadn't realized Drew had gotten out of the truck until his door opened and he was waiting for him. "What's this?"

"You'll see," he smiled as he led him to the door. "I want you to see something." He slipped the key into the lock and guided Rick through the door, "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," he was speechless as he looked around. "But how did you know I wanted to look at it?"

He kissed him deep and slow, tongues tracing each other as their hearts beat in rhythm. "I know everything about you," he whispered before pulling him toward the kitchen.

He blinked in amazement when he saw the table set complete with Champagne. "How did you do all of this?" Drew pulled a chair out for him and he sat down.

He started serving food onto their plates while Rick poured the wine. "Well things have been sort of crazy for a while and now that things are starting to get normal again I want us to have the relationship we've always dreamed of without fear and stress. I wanted to start to focus on that, on you tonight."

He put his hand on top of Drew's. "I want that too baby."

"Good," he bounced as he pulled a little gift box out of his pocket and handed it to him.

"You didn't have to get me anything. Just being with you is,"

"Shut up and open it!" he laughed anxiously.

"Ok!" he ripped into the box and a key fell out into his palm. The Key chain was silver and was inscribed with his name. He looked at Drew in confusion.

"It's ours now."

Tears flowed and he couldn't stop them. "Y..you bought this for us?" He really bought Rick his dream house?

"Yes," was all he could say before Rick was kissing him breathlessly. He moaned as he straddled his lap pressing their bodies together. Dinner was forgotten as they started to touch each other. Drew was pulling Rick's shirt open as he ground his hips against the hardness in his jeans. He stood up lifting Rick's legs around his waist so he could walk with him and headed into the den. The house was empty save the table and stuff Drew had brought in for the night and the air mattress that laid in the middle of the den.

Rick slipped from Drew's waist causing both of them to moan as their erections slid against each other. He eyed the bed then his lover. "Pretty confident you were going to be getting some old man?"

"Mmm yeah," he nodded. "I had planned to do one more thing before that though?"

"What did you buy me a car too?" he was exasperated at how Drew thought he could possibly do more for him.

"Please like there is a chance in hell you'd ever give up old blue," he laughed and kissed him letting his hand trace down over Rick's stomach to cup him. It made his body tingle when he felt his hips snap forward to gain more of his touch. "God you are beautiful like this. Could keep you like this for ever just watching you, touching you, "he gave the bulge in his hand a squeeze causing Rick to whimper and mewl in need, "making you come for me."

"Oh God please," he pleaded as he tried to take Drew's shirt off.

"No," he scolded softly but continued to rub and work the throbbing flesh in his hand. "There is one more thing I need to ask you first."

He stopped what he was doing and dropped to his knee. It took Rick a few seconds to regain his composure and realize what was happening. Drew was on one knee, a black ring box in his hand, "Will you marry me?"

"You, I, we," he stammered. "Yes, god yes!" They both laughed and kissed as Drew slipped the thin silver band on his finger.


	2. Chapter 2

Drew stretched as he woke his body was sore from the activities the night before. It had been so long since they focused on just them that making love tuned in to acrobatics and balancing acts. He smiled remembering a particular episode on the back deck where Rick had insisted that test how sturdy the railing was. It was plenty sturdy but it did need some sanding because he has a splinter in his thigh.

Rick woke as soon as drew shifted, sated and happy. He touched the ring on his finger just to be sure it hadn't been a dream. "Having regrets?"

"What?" he propped up on his elbow. "Never. Are you?"

"No," he smiled. "Just was afraid it had all been a dream.

He kissed him softly. "Only part that is a dream is the part where you said yes." He entwined their fingers, "It was my dream."

"Not a dream. It's real." He moved them so that Drew was on top of him. He loved the feel of his weight on him.

Feeling Rick breathing under him and rubbing his sore muscles nearly purred. "We have two whole days off work. What would you like to do?"

"This house needs stuff. More stuff then we both have combined," he laughed.

"Let's go pick out furniture and make it our home?"

"Sounds perfect! I love the idea of picking it all out together. It really makes it ours and," he paused and blushed.

"And?" Drew pushed.

"It's so domestic but I really love it."

They eventually got up and showered then spent the entire day shopping and setting up deliveries for the next day and managed to get everything they needed for the most part. Drew was really glad he had the money his grandfather put back for him because he'd have to work two lifetimes to pay all that stuff off. They stopped by their apartments and gathered all the stuff they wanted to take and got it moved in as well. They had an extremely productive weekend.

Rick watched as the last delivery truck backed out of the drive. They still had stuff to work on but for the most part the house was now a home. He went into the kitchen where Drew was getting two beers from the fridge and handed him one. They sat down at the table and each grabbed a slice of Pizza. "We did it," he smiled.

"We did. It's perfect," Drew agreed. "I can't believe we got it all finished in two days."

He laughed, "I'm feeling it too. I'm told old for this."

Drew shook his head, "Not to old, just worked too hard babe."

"Yeah? You worked just as hard."

"Well I am Captain Bad Ass," he laughed using Krista's nickname for him. Rick acted like he nearly choked on his beer and Drew punched his arm.

They finished dinner and cleaned the kitchen before heading to the bedroom. After showering and brushing their teeth they collapsed into bed exhausted. Drew was nearly asleep when Rick kicked the covers off of both of them and crawled on top of him. "Honey?"

"It's a new bed. We have to break it in right," he smirked. Drew reached for him but he pressed his hands above his head. "Stay." Having just showered they were both already naked so Rick straddles Drew's hips and leans down kissing him until he's panting then nipping down his jaw, his neck and collar bone then lapping at each nipple before sucking each one into his mouth causing him to hiss. He moved lower kissing and nipping at his tight abs and lower stomach ghosting over the sensitive flesh that was begging for his attention and placed a kiss on each inner thigh before licking a stripe on the sensitive underside of his erection.

"Rick," he moaned clinching his fist above his head.

He lowered his head taking the throbbing flesh into his mouth and swallowing. He pinned Drew's hips to the bed and started bobbing his head up and down pulling almost all the way off just to suck on the sensitive head until he squirmed then lowered back down using his tongue to trace the vein on the underside. It wasn't long before Drew was a writhing, panting mess just the way he wanted him so he grabbed some very strategically placed lube and coated his fingers in it.

Drew clinched down hard when he felt the first finger enter him. He knew it was Rick and God knows how bad he wanted it but his damn body still had that knee jerk reaction and he hated it. He hated that he couldn't just enjoy it and most of all the Rick had to feel it every time it happened like his body didn't want it.

He could feel the reaction in Drew's body. He was prepared for the jump when he first breached him but more and more Drew was getting lost in his own head instead of just moving forward. He knew he had to get him to focus so he gripped the soft, full sacks in his hand and give a firm squeeze. It was uncomfortable but not painful but it worked Drew's eyes focused on him as he gasped. His body started to relax again and Rick took full advantage and brought him to orgasm drinking down every drip he offered only stopping when Drew mewled in protest from over sensitive skin.

He got to his knees and coated his own aching flesh in lube before lifting Drew's legs and pushing them toward his chest. He kissed him as he slid in slowly stopping each time Drew's hand pushed at his hip and giving him time to adjust. Once he was fully seated he stayed pressed tight against him until Drew started squirming and pleading, "Please," breathlessly.

"Please what?" He pressed his hips harder going impossibly deeper.

"Please," he begged, "fuck me, please."

He pulled his hips back almost pulling out completely so that he felt the stretch the most then slid back in slowly the first few thrusts before picking up speed. He wasn't going to last long so he angled his thrusts so that each movement dragged over or stabbed at his prostate and soon Drew was clinching and arching into each thrust as his cum coated their stomachs before falling back against the pillows. Rick shifted so that Drew's knees were pinned to his chest and he thrust for all he was worth into the willing body below him until he spilled his seed deep inside collapsing on top of him.

Drew actually whined when Rick pulled out of him missing the fullness but he loved the feeling of his cum dripping out of him. Rick pulled Drew so that his leg was slung over his hips and his head resting on Rick's chest and Rick's hand resting on his very sensitive ass and they were both soon asleep.

The next morning they had invited gang over for dinner that night before work. Rick was sitting the table making sure everything was perfect. He smiled and leaned back against Drew when he wrapped his arms around his waist. "Nervous?"

"No," Drew kissed his neck. "Excited."

The doorbell rang and Drew went to let them in. Everyone said their hello's and looked around at the house in awe.

"It's so beautiful," Krista was stunned.

"Sweet," Kenny said giving Drew a high five.

"Wow," T.C. grinned.

"You make me look bad Drew. Janet can never see this place." Topher hugged them both.

Jordan gave both Rick and Drew a kiss on the cheek and handed them a couple bottles of wine. "Nice!"

They took them on a tour of the house and showed them the guest rooms they were all welcome to anytime they needed them. Just as they were about to sit down for dinner Jordan grabbed Ricks hand and gasped before holding it up for Krista to see who had just done the same with Drew's hand. "I think they noticed," Rick mock whispered to Drew.

"Busted," he laughed. Krista smacked his stomach hard, frowning. "Ow!"

"Hey, no hitting my husband," Rick scolded.

"Husband?" Topher, T.C., Kenny, Paul and Ragosa all said in unison.

"Surprise!" they both laughed.

"Oh my God when?" Jordan demanded.

"Two days ago," Rick explained. "We wanted to get the house set up before we told anyone."

They all congratulated their friends then sit down to eat.

"I," Drew started then paused. "Everyone here is our family, more so then most of my blood relatives. You have been there for us, supported us and stood by us no matter what. Everyone here helped us though some of the most traumatic events in our lives and there is no thank you that is big enough or words that could cover how we feel."

Rick spoke, "When the opportunity with the Advocacy Center came up all of you were right there offering to volunteer your time and talent for free whenever you could and we are and will be forever grateful for that. We just got the final documents notarized and we are set to open in two weeks." Drew stood and took several envelopes out of a nearby drawer and handed them out.

"What is this?" Topher asked putting his fork down.

"Just a thank you from the center for your work and support to help get us open," Drew explained.

"Holy shit," Ragosa said after looking at the check inside his envelope.

"Um," T.C. stammered.

"Drew?!" Krista gasped.

"I haven't done anything to deserve this kind of money," Kenny said.

"No, Drew we can't take this." Jordan was stunned.

"Yes you can and you will. It's not out of our pocket. Seems that this center was something that a lot of people feel needed to happen. Rick and I are so blessed right now we just want to share the wealth and say thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Thanks to Jennie for this idea!

Drew took a sip of his coffee before going back to filling out his latest chart. "You know Toph we really need to find a way to expedite all this paper work. I nominate the head nurse for the job. He can fill everything out and us doctors can sign it."

"The hell you say," Kenny grumped as he walked past. "We do enough work for you doctors."

"Ok you two," Topher scolded. Everyone was in a great mood and he could feel the prank fest building in the air. T.C. had already started a pool between Drew, Krysta and Ragosa to see who could get the weirdest cases for the night. So far Krysta was in the lead having removed a Yankee Candle from a guy's ass. But Drew was smiling as he waved his latest chart in front of T.C.

"A couple, brought in by ambulance. She has a third degree burn on her back and a black eye and he has a serious bit wound on his penis." Drew explained. "It seems after having sex he decided to fix her pancakes. She wanted to thank him by preforming oral sex. He lost his coordination and dropped the hot pan on her back, she in turn bit him which cause him to punch her in the face."

"Damn it,"Ragosa groused knowing Drew has just popped to the top of the list.

"Incoming," Topher nodded toward the door. Several Swat Officers were filing in some helping others and some walking on their own. "What happened here?"

Drew quickly sat his coffee down and approached relieved that it wasn't Rick's unit until he saw Rick helping one of his men in. He went to them instantly. "What happened?"

"We were doing some night ops training and one of the walls collapsed," the injured officer groaned.

"Kenny a little help here," Drew yelled. He can Kenny carried the man into a trauma room. They put him on the gurney and noticed his friends followed he was surprised but figured they were family like the Army was so he didn't question.

"What's your name Sir," Kenny asked as he helped Drew cut the man's pant leg open.

"Brighton, Robert Brighton," he gritted as Drew poked at the wound on his thigh.

"Well Mr. Brighton I'm Dr. Alister and it looks like you have some debris imbedded in your leg. I'm going to remove it and stitch it up then we will get you up to x ray to make sure nothing's broken." He looked at Kenny. "Sterile saline, gauze, 10 gauge suture kit, go ahead and give a tetanus booster, 10 onsite lidocaine for the procedure and 25 of Tramadol for pain."

"On it," Kenny went about gather supplies opening each thing and handing it to Drew to administer.

"You'll feel a little sting but it should go numb quickly," he explained as he pressed the needle to skin. Once he was numb he started rinsing the wound and removing all the dirt, wood and rock from it. "Damn it," he cursed when he removed a splinter of wood and blood started shooting from the wound. "Nicked the artery going to need a 9 silk and clear the field so I can see what's going on."

Kenny applied suction and Drew sewed the artery making quick work of it. "Paul!" Drew shouted as he removed his bloody gloves and gown. "Get mister Brighton to x ray please."

"Yes sir," he said wheeling the man out.

When he turned he saw everyone staring at him. "What? Someone else need help?"

"No, we just wanted to see if Dr. Amazing was everything we were told he was," one of the men laughed. Another hit him upside the head.

"So you caused an accident just to come watch me work?" he arched a brow.

"No," Rick shook his head but was blushing a bit. "There was an accident and this was the nearest trauma center."

"Uh huh," Kenny smirked.

"DREW!" T.C. yelled from the lobby.

Drew pushed his way through the officers and toward T. "What's up?"

"Multiple MVAs coming in. Two out front in buses need attention now!"

"On it!" he ran out the door.

"Jordan!" T.C. yelled handing off his patient. "26 year old female, laceration to the head, left arm and right leg! She can move but it's painful!" He ran out to get the other patient.

Two paramedics ran in pushing a gurney with Drew on it straddling an unconscious man with his hands wrists deep in his chest. "Get Scott down here now! Penetrating chest wound with laceration of the aortic valve! I have my finger in the wound stopping him from bleeding out but it's not going to matter if we don't get the aorta sewn up now!" The wheeled them into a trauma room and the nurses started putting leads on him and Drew moved to step down.

"NO! Stay were you are," Scott yelled as he ran down the hall. "Have to take you with me or he will bleed out before we even move him." He slipped a pair of eye shields on Drew for safety since his hands were occupied. "Give him 3 units of O neg on the rapid infuser and page whoever is on call for vascular!" He saw Drew starting to shake from the effort it was taking to hold his position and keep the man's heart beating. "Hang in there Drew! His life is in your hands!"

"Oh you're funny," he sighed as they sprinted for the elevator.

"Ok gents," Kenny said to the swat team "you can hang out in the waiting area until your friend gets back from x ray."

"Is it like this every day?" one of the men asked?

"No this is slow for us," he said honestly before going to another patient.

Rick grabbed a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter when Krista came bounding in and gave him a hug and a kiss. "Are you ok? I heard about a swat team being in an accident."

"I'm fine but a couple of my men were injured."

"Ok Drew knows you're here right because he will kick both our asses if he doesn't," she asked backing out of the room to get another patient.

"He knows. Saw him already," he nodded as she ran.

"Do all the hot doctors kiss you," Rogers asked smirking.

"Well I am irresistible," he teased.

"I have to admit I'm a little impressed. I figured your doctor was all about wiping noses and asses," Jackson said. "He had his hands in a man's chest holding his fucking heart."

Drew had showered and changed his blood soaked scrubs and made his way back to the ER to his patients. He entered Mr. Brighton's room. "Good news! Nothing is broken so you will need to rest and ice it for a few days but you should be fine."

"Thanks Doc," he shook his hand.

Drew made no hesitations before pushing another of the team down on a stool and taking his jacket off. "Going to need stitches," he said to himself. "Anyone else have injuries?"

"Just a bump on the head," Rogers spoke up. Drew stepped over and poked at it. "Ow!"

He pushed the curtain back since everyone was standing in there anyway. "Krista, Paul!" They both came in. "Mr. Rogers needs a head CT," he said to Paul who got a wheel chair and took him to radiology. Krista prepared the implements for cleaning and sewing the other officer's arm.

She handed Drew the things he needed but noticed he was preoccupied watching Kenny carrying supplies toward an empty trauma room. "Drew!" she admonished just before a really loud air horn rang out and Kenny was covered in white powder.

"Damn it Paul!" Kenny yelled.

Drew was laughing hysterically and Krista couldn't help but join in. "You are evil! You are the one who put the KY Jelly on the phone and paged Paul earlier weren't you!" It just dawned on her.

"I would never," he tried for innocents and failed. Everyone in the room laughed. He made quick work of the stitches and wrapped them in gauze. "Keep them clean and dry for two weeks and follow up with your family physician. He will remove them for you."

"I don't have a family doctor," he said sheepishly. "Insurance sucks these days."

He understood, "Come back here during the night shift. Ask for me or T.C. Callaghan and we will take care of it. He heard someone yelling at Gwen from the nurses' station.

"I've been waiting here for three fuckin hours and I demand to be seen!"

"I understand sir and they will get to you as soon as possible but you need to stay calm and have a seat. There have been several critical cases to come through that took precedence."

"Fuck you bitch!" he screamed and flung all the papers off the desk to the floor before shoving Gwen backwards.

"Whoa bubba, there's no call for all of that," Drew held his hands up as he approached the angry man. "Just take a seat and we will get to you as soon as we can."

"You'll get to me now!" He demanded.

"Afraid not. Sit down or leave." Drew stated. The huge man swung on him but Drew blocked spinning behind him kicking him in the bend of the knee and applying a choke hold. "Ok you need a nap," he sighed as the man wilted to the floor unconscious. "Restrain him and put him in ISO 4," he told security before going to Gwen. "You ok? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," she waved him off. "You gotta show me that move though!"

"Bad Ass Dr. Alister," Kenny teased bumping fists with him.

Drew shook his head hating the attention and started to push past Kenny to go back to work when he saw Ragosa's hamburger sitting on the desk. Both men got evil looks in their eyes. Kenny grabbed a big tape gun and Drew got the burger, both climbed on the desk and proceeded to tape the burger to the celling giggling like school girls before taking off to watch from a safe distance.

T.C. shook his head and leaned back in the desk chair letting his eyes slip closed. He was startled awake a few minutes later by Kenny's yell of 'INCOMING TRAUMA!' He jumped to his feet and started to run toward the bay door but his feet didn't move and he fell on his face. "DAMN IT DREW! YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!" Everyone roared in laughter because it was rare to pull a prank on T.C. much less for someone to glue his shoes to the floor.

Rick shook his head and pulled Drew aside into the doctor's lounge. "Hey," he kissed him.

"You ok? You didn't get hurt and not tell me did you?" Drew was worried.

"No, I'm fine but the guys wanted to know if you were up for breakfast after your shift. You haven't had a chance to meet them formally yet."

"Sounds wonderful," he nodded. "Only have about two hours left is that ok?"

"Sure, I'll let them know and Drew?" He slapped his ass hard enough to sting, "Behave!" meaning the pranks.

He hissed and almost purred at the same time giving him a glare. "Where is the fun in that?"

The rest of shift went off without another patient and Drew was about to go to the locker room and shower when Molly stopped him. "Drew honey can you help me a second?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need to put this," she handed him a flyer, "up there high enough so that it can be seen over the nurse's desk and I'm not tall enough." He took it and held it up over his head. "Higher," she said and he obliged only to be attacked by Kenny and T.C. who were running around the post wrapping him in plastic wrap. Once he was secure and they were sure he could breathe everyone started laughing and taking pictures.

Rick even took his turn grabbing his ass in the pose. "Plastic wrap is a good look for you," he whispered. Everyone laughed louder when he blushed red.


	4. Chapter 4

"T got a second?"

"Sure what's up?"

Drew rubs his hands over his face. "I need help on a case. I fucked up and I know I did but I don't know how."

They all missed things and screwed up because they were human but Drew seemed to be particularly upset with this one. "Ok, let's go see the patient."

"No," he shook his head. "Patient has been handed over to another doctor. I just want to know what I missed that was so obvious. Show me what it is so it doesn't happen again?"

"Sure kid but relax ok?"

"DREW!" Topher yelled from trauma 2. Drew ran into the room. The air was tense and everyone was uneasy even the nurses. "Dr. Alister would you care to tell me how you fucked up and almost let this man drown?"

Drew cringed, "I didn't check his airways for water but he wasn't near water when he was found. Are we always supposed to check every possibility before something happens? He wasn't presenting with any symptoms of drowning." He honestly didn't know what happened.

"It's called dry drowning and you should have caught it!" he yelled shoving Drew backwards.

"Whoa," Kenny stepped between them. "Everything ok here doctors?"

Topher stepped back but shoved the chart against Drew's chest. "Do you think you can be a doctor and keep him from dying now that I fixed your mistake?"

"Yes Sir," he said, his jaw clinched tight. Everyone looked on in shock.

The rest of his night didn't go much better after being reamed publicly by Topher several more times and getting put on 'punishment' (taking care of drug seekers and nuisance patients) he started second guessing everything he did. Molly and some of the other nurses had been leaving pacifiers and diapers laying around because he was being treated like a child and ice packs with a loving note that said 'had your ass spanked so many times tonight thought you might need this.' His head was pounding and it didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon.

He had just called Jordan in for a consult wanting to verify a procedure before he did it so he didn't screw up again and she didn't look happy. "Can I see you outside?" she asked angrily.

"Sure," he followed her into the hall.

"What the hell Drew?" she was exasperated and yelling. "This is first year stuff and you want me to hold your hand? I don't have time for this. Be a doctor and do your job or hand off to Paul and go home!" Everyone was watching the exchange. It was one hell of an insult to Drew, not that Paul was a bad kid but he was first year and Drew was so far ahead of him that it basically said that Drew was incompetent and needed to hand off to a student.

Kenny watched for a few minutes after Jordan stormed off and Drew just stood there like he was frozen. "Hey, your patient is waiting for his stitches," he prompted.

He pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and tossed it to him, "then get Paul to do it."

"Drew," Kenny started to protest but his friend was already storming into the locker room. "Damn it."

He stepped out back for some fresh air seriously considering just getting into his truck and going home but it just wasn't in his nature to quit. "You look like hell," T frowned.

"Thanks you're beautiful too."

"Sorry it took me so long but I finally got to go over that file you gave me."

It had been a crazy night and T.C. had been tied up either with life flight or field calls. "No problem, been hectic tonight. How did the surgery with the hit and run go?"

"Much better than expected," he smiled. "They were able to pin her spine so she will walk again with a lot of therapy."

Medicine was a beautiful art that they were sometimes blessed to be able to witness. A sixteen year old girl talking on a cell phone to her boyfriend and a drunk driver coming around a corner going too fast and you realize how fragile life can be. ""That's wonderful."

"Look Drew I read that chart even looked at the labs and I don't know of anything you missed."

"Well I missed something."

"How would you have known to check for drowning? He was in a car accident in the middle of the desert. When he started showing signs of distress you found out what was wrong. You couldn't have known before that I don't care who said you should've."

Drew nodded and started to walk back into the hospital but T grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Talk to me kid. What's wrong?"

"Did you mean what you said when you offered to put me in touch with the Rangers?" He could apply for the Rangers himself but T could put in a good word for him with the right people.

He was confused, "I thought you weren't going to focus on Rangers right now with the Center opening soon and finishing your residency here at the hospital?"

"Having second thoughts," he said then walked back inside and back to work.

"What the fuck is going on here tonight?" T asked himself out loud.

"T.C. got a second?" Jordan asked, Molly had told her where he had gone.

"Yeah," he hugged her.

"I need you to talk to Topher."

"Why? What's wrong?" he was concerned.

She shrugged, "Nothing I can put my finger on but something is off. Something has been off all night and not just with him, with everyone." She rested her head on his shoulder. "The cases tonight have been full-moon type crazy, everything that could go wrong has. The nurses are crazy tonight messing with the doctors and pranking them. Paul let a lady have a major heart attack so he could take the time to watch Toph do a procedure he'd never seen before and Drew," she said exasperatedly, "Drew has turned into a first year student. I have never had to hold his hand as much as I have tonight."

"It's just a crazy night in the ER, it happens," he shrugged. "But I will talk to Toph and see if he's ok and," he turned her toward him and gave her a kiss, "go easy on Drew something is going on with him tonight."

Drew took a deep breath before pushing the door open to the doctor's lounge and walking inside. He held a clip board out to Topher. "I'm sorry to bother you but you're my attending and I need you to sign off on these before I can leave."

Topher looked upset and ashamed especially when Drew kept his gaze down at his feet and waited standing at parade rest. "Of course," he took the clipboard and signed all the charts. He hadn't realized how many people Drew had seen that night, over thirty five, that was a lot in an ER setting. He handed the signed charts back to him. "Listen Drew about tonight."

"Don't. I fucked up I get it. If you decided to revoke my residency I understand." He turned and walked out only stopping at the desk to drop the papers off and grab his bag before going straight to his truck and driving.

"Care to tell me what that was about?" T.C. asked having witnessed what happened from just outside the door.

"When you were over there did you ever do anything you regretted?"

"We all did Toph. It was war and we had to make decisions and do things that we wouldn't normally do." It hit him suddenly that this was triggered because of the dry drowning and he understood. "It's ok man."

"No it's not. None of it is ok." He hugged his friend.

Rick was still out on the obstacle course surveying the damage. He'd had a meeting with several other instructors trying to figure out why the wall had collapsed during training a few nights before and wasn't satisfied with the answers they were finding. His shift had ended a couple hours ago but he just couldn't let it go. He was knelt down looking at a break in a wooden beam when he heard a voice.

"Captain Lincoln?" Marsden asked. He was a kid doing grunt work to learn as much as he could before he was old enough to go through the police academy. He was eager and willing to learn so everyone was making a great effort to help him out.

"Marsden? Shouldn't you be home already? Shift ended two hours ago," he said bending closer to look at something.

"He should but his pain in the ass CO won't go home."

"Drew?" he got to his feet quickly in surprise. Marsden tried not to laugh but Drew laughed anyway. "You ok?" he didn't like the way Drew looked.

He nodded, "Rough night. You weren't home so I called and Sarah said you were here."


	5. Chapter 5

Rick, Drew and Joseph Marsden talked for a while as they looked around the site. "Sir?"

"Marsden one more time. Call me Captain, Rick or even Lincoln but stop calling me Sir."

"Sorry Sir, I mean Rick uh Captain," he stammered.

Drew laughed which caused the boy to blush. He was about as green as they came. Rick had told Drew about him but they'd not met yet. He told Drew that the boy was sharp and had the potential to do well in either the military or law enforcement fields. Physically he was scrawny and needed to work on his assertiveness or as Rick's CO had put it he needed to learn to be one of the Alphas not a pup. He'd asked Rick specifically to take Marsden under his wing and groom him for a future career. It was something he felt honored to be asked to do.

Rick looked at Marsden expectantly with one eyebrow raised. "Sarah," (Rick's Secretary) "isn't supposed to tell people where you are." He didn't know who this man was. Obviously he knew Captain Lincoln but still it was against protocol.

"Drew is the exception kid," he laughed. "Joseph Marsden meet Captain Andrew Alister; my husband."

"Huh..husband?" he was shocked.

Drew offered his hand to shake. "Call me Drew, or Captain Bad Ass, that's what everyone else calls me," he teased.

"Wait, I know you," he said excitedly.

Drew smiled at Rick, "See he knows Captain Bad Ass!"

Rick rolled his eyes and muttered, "Don't encourage him."

"No! You fight MMA! I saw you beat the shit out of a Navy guy last summer! It was awesome!" Marsden gushed like a fan girl. "Are you still fighting?"

"No, I train but I don't fight anymore."

"Why?"

He held up his hands to show him. "I'm a doctor which means I am nothing without my hands. Fights equal broken bones which equal pissed off Attending's and threats."

He shrugged, "Makes sense but you still train?"

"Every day kid." He noticed something on the ground and got on his belly and scooted partway under the collapsed wall. "Rick take a look at this."

Rick got down to where he was and looked at the wood and concrete. "Oh hell." He got his phone out and dialed his CO.

T.C. sat looking at Topher in empathy after he'd filled him in on what was going on. The dry drowning had brought back memories of something Topher had been forced to do in Kandahar, a way of getting information from prisoners. He was lashing out at Drew because of the memories, it was like if he save the current victim then he could atone for the one overseas.

They talked for a few hours and Topher felt better about everything except how he had treated Drew. "What am I going to do T? The kid probably hates me now. You should have seen him when he brought me the charts."

"I did. He looked like a kicked puppy." He sat up in his chair, "You need to tell him what happened. He'll understand he's been there. We were Field Medics and Unit Surgeons Toph but Drew was out in the field with battle units. He'll understand."

He nodded, "your right. Sometimes I see him as a kid because he's so young."

"He is young which makes it worse. Listen I happen to be in a position to know something that you can't tell work at all and I'm only telling you because you're my brother. Drew is thinking about leaving. He's thinking about giving up Medicine, which means instead of ten years he will owe the Army twenty and he wants to go Ranger." Both men were silent for a moment letting the ramifications of that sink in. "I would talk to him soon."

Drew pined the guest badge on that Rick had given him and sat on one of the log hurdles waiting. He had went to meet his CO and several of the other SWAT leaders to inform them about what they'd found. Marsden was sitting across from him. "So you want to be SWAT or something else?" trying to make small talk.

He shrugged. "I love this stuff but I'm not sure I have what it takes. My dad pulled some strings and got me set up in this position with Captain Lincoln."

"So is this what you want or what your dad wants?"

"No it's what I want," he explained. "My dad's just trying to help me get my foot in the door, to find a way to try and fit in. This is what I've wanted to do since I was a kid."

You are still a kid, he thought looking at how young he was. He notices the kid cringe and stiffen. "What?"

"This guy is such a jerk," he watched Grayson coming toward them. "No one can stand him. I wish I'd been there when Captain Lincoln beat the crap out of him."

"Rick beat him up?" he was surprised.

"Marsden you little pussy what did you do bring your boyfriend to the obstacle course to impress him?" Grayson sneered. Now Drew understood why Rick kicked his ass.

"Grayson this is.." Before he could finish Drew jumped down and offered his hand.

"Drew."

Grayson looked at the offered hand like it had offended him and turned his back on him. Before anything else could be said three Humvees packed with officers pulled in. The men unloaded and came to where they were waiting. Without a word they all started inspecting the site and soon were all standing in a circle. "Good find Captain Lincoln," Franks said.

"It wasn't mine. Captain Alister saw it."

"Because you were looking. You had a bad feeling since it happened," he added.

They all discussed the fact that the collapsed wall was tampered with. A terroristic act in an attempt to hurt Law Enforcement Officials. A full investigation was launched as ideas on how to protect the trainees while they were there were discussed.

"I suggest some hand to hand, non-weapon self-defense training," Drew offered. "It will work for everyone whether or not they are cleared to carry a fire arm."

"You really think it's a viable option?" Franks asked. He was the head of the SWAT division in the entire state of Texas.

"Of course, let me demonstrate. You," he motioned to Grayson "come here."

"NOW!" Franks roared when Grayson didn't move.

He approached Drew who took him down to the ground in an instant and had him pinned. He let him back up only to flip him over and pin him again. He repeated this several times in several different take downs, none of which Grayson could stop or defend against.

"That's great but you're a bigger man and obviously well trained," Franks said having doubts that just anyone could do that.

"It doesn't matter about size or experience. Here," He took Marsden by the arm and pulled him to stand in front of Grayson. He told him what to do and showed him arm positions.

"Please this runt couldn't take down a marshmallow," he snarked.

Drew stepped back and nodded at Marsden who did what Drew had showed him. Grayson went flying over his back, feet flailing in the air then smashing to the ground knocking the air out of him then he put him in a choke hold until he tapped out. He let him go and jumped up and down in victory.

Rick and Drew were both grinning manically knowing how much Grayson had deserved that little display. Franks was impressed. "Let's get the men set up on this type of self-defense," he instructed the others.

Franks thanked Drew and Rick for all the help and everyone went their separate ways. "Want to tell me what's going on Drew?" He had known since he showed up this morning something was off.

"I do but not here," he nodded. Everything was still sort of spinning in his head right now.

"Fair enough," he conceded. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving." As they headed toward their cars they saw Grayson shoving Marsden against a wall. Both men were on him in an instant tossing him to the ground.

"Give me a reason Grayson! Give me a reason to kick your ass out of my school," Rick yelled.

"I should have known that you would stand up for him," he glared at the boy then back to Rick. "After all I'm sure he's blowin' you to keep his job!"

Drew from calm to pissed in about 0.6 seconds and launched toward Grayson. Rick grabbed Drew's arm and pinned it behind his back. "Stop! This is not the time or place! Do you understand me?"

Drew struggled for a few minutes before regaining his composure. "Watch what you say you sniveling little bastard because one day we will meet some where away from this place and when I'm done with you,"

"STOP IT!" Rick roared shoving Drew back and getting in his face. He didn't want him to get in trouble for threatening a police officer. "Go to your truck! NOW! Marsden make sure he gets there!" When the two were halfway to the truck he stood toe to toe with Grayson. "You're on thin ice boy," he warned. "When I'm done with you getting your ass kicked by him will seem like a cake walk. Keep pushing Grayson. Keep pushing." He let the threat hang in the air as he walked to where Drew and Marsden were, Drew was looking at the kid's busted lip.

"Are you ok?" He asked Marsden?

"Yeah, that guys just a jerk."

"Tonight 5:oo p.m. San Antonio Memorial Hospital. Go to the ER entrance and ask for Drew. I'll leave word your coming. Dress in work out gear." Was all Drew said before he got in his truck.


	6. Chapter 6

Rick poured himself another cup of coffee and went back out on the deck to sit in the shade. It had taken a few hours to get Drew to sleep after their conversation and now he was left alone with his thoughts. He knew Drew was still active military and owed the Army ten years of service for paying for medical school. It was something he knew before he began his relationship with Drew and accepted it. He had been blind sided with the latest revelation though and he couldn't catch his breath.

Drew was thinking about giving up his dream of being a doctor. Pushing aside the facts that Drew would owe the Army twenty years and add to that he wants to go into the Rangers program? They were both soldiers and they knew what that meant. He would stand by him no matter what decision he made but he knew how much being a doctor had meant to Drew and it broke his heart to think he would give that up.

It seemed that last night's bouts with Topher and Jordan were just the icing on a very secret cake Drew had been hiding. Since the ordeal with Landry the hospital higher ups had been pressuring Drew to leave the hospital. He refused and just kept moving forward but he'd finally told Rick tonight about everything else that had been happening behind the scenes. Now, just when Rick felt like he was on top of the world the world felt like it was falling out from under him and all he could do was hang on for the ride.

Drew showered and packed his bag before heading to the kitchen for some coffee. "Hey," he bent to give Rick a kiss. "You want to go with me to work with Marsden? See if he's got what it takes to start training?"

"I'm glad you asked," he smiled. "I'd like that. I want to help." He looked up from his IPad when Drew sat next to him and took his hand.

"Thanks for listing this morning. I'm sorry to throw all that on you but whatever is decided it's not just my decision. It's our decision."

The fact that he said it was their decision brought tears to his eyes. "I wish you'd have told me sooner. You didn't have to go through all this alone."

"Stop. I have not been alone. We have dealt with plenty together and you really have no factor in how well or not so well apparently, that I can do my job. This is on me."

"I know how much you love what you do and it kills me that you are willing to walk away from it. You're not a quitter."

"I do love being a doctor. I always wanted to help people but if I'm not doing it right or well then I need to change something. Maybe I need to go back to school and study more? I don't know," he was frustrated as hell with himself. "Maybe another year back in school and I start over as an intern again somewhere else? Maybe I stick with being a grunt medic on base taking care of the basics and handing off the hard stuff?" Rick had never seen him look so defeated.

"Hey man," Kenny high fived Drew and Rick. "When you called and said you wanted to train someone I had no idea you meant Rick."

Drew laughed, "I didn't. Rick is good at martial arts."

"Was," he interjected.

"Still are," Drew insisted. "We just got to work out some new stuff with the leg."

"Hey!" Krista smiled as she came in with Marsden. "Found him downstairs asking for you."

Rick made introductions and explained about Marsden and wanting to bulk him up a bit.

"Wait so you had a girl come to train me?" Marsden asked then quickly added, "No offence."

Drew and Kenny laughed knowing how good Krista was. "No," Drew told him. "She is here to train with Rick and I. There are some self-defense holds we have been wanting to show her."

Rick put a pair of gloves on and Kenny put his hand pads on. "Rule number one in throwing a punch in this type of training. Do not stand stiff legged and poke your arm out like your pushing a button." He demonstrated and they all laughed. "You stand with your legs like this then swing letting your knee bend and your body carry the blow through." He demonstrated again making a loud smack into Kenny's padded hand.

"Ohhh," Kenny shook his hand surprised at how powerful the punch had been.

"Two sets of twenty with each hand," Drew told Marsden and Kenny before he and Rick circled around Krista.

She eyed both of them watching their movements. "And for you," Drew smirked. "You are going to learn how to defend yourself against two attackers."

"I got this one!" She bounced and crouched like she was going to kick out then yelled "DREW HELP ME!"

They laughed. "Funny. What happens when I'm gone?" he asked seriously.

"Gone? You're not leaving this is your home." She had no idea what was going on.

"Just humor me ok?" he said and swung smacking her in the back of her head. "Guard Up!"

"Ow! You asked for it!"

After about an hour of hard training they were all sweaty and tired. Kenny handed everyone a bottle of water and sat down. "So kid what did you think?" Rick asked Marsden.

"It's awesome! I want to train like this."

"We can't always meet here because they are going to permanently close the tailgate but we will work out a place to go."

"Wait you mean you will train me?" he was surprised.

"I think between the three of us, if Kenny is still in, we can work out a training schedule to kick your ass into shape that will fit everyone's schedules," Rick smiled.

"Heck yeah I'm in but only if Drew keeps teaching me MMA stuff too."

They all agreed to meet that weekend, place pending, and gathered there stuff to leave. Drew gave Rick a kiss, "See you in the morning. Be safe."

"Love you and TAKE A SHOWER you reek!" he teased. Krista and Drew headed inside to get ready for work. Once they were out of earshot he turned to Kenny. "Keep an eye on him for me tonight?"

"You got it. What's going on?"

"Not something I can talk about but try to get him to talk to you?"

He nodded, "I got his six man, yours too."

"Thanks Kenny, you're the best." Rick shook his hand before leading Marsden out.

Drew came out of the locker room clean and ready for work. He started checking exam rooms and trauma rooms to be sure they were properly stocked before his shift as always and went to fill his coffee cup before he went to work. He started to walk back out of the doctors lounge when he saw Topher and T.C. sitting at the table but he decided he had to face them liked it or not.

Topher was relieved to see Drew walk through the door. He stood and approached him. "We need to talk about what I said yesterday. I'm sorry I.."

He shook his head, "We don't. I get it really. I fucked up and a man almost died. You're my boss and it's your job to stop me from killing someone. I will do better."

"Topher," Molly stuck her head in the door. "Jordan needs you, now. Drew your needed in exam one."

Drew went to work.


	7. Chapter 7

Drew was cleaning a laceration on a woman's arm. "Can you tell me again how you fell Mrs. Howard?"

"My son is a jackass!" she shouted. Her son, sitting by her bed, cringed. "I asked him to get me a glass of water.."

"I did Ma," he interrupted.

"But you left that damn skate board in the floor!"

"You weren't supposed to be out of bed!"

"I HAD TO PEE!" she screamed. The nurse tried hard not to laugh but had to turn her back.

"Well you did a perfect Ollie! Only you didn't stick the landing." He cringed, "when you landed on your back, feet in the air I never expected the board to land on your feet! It was wicked dude!" he was bragging.

She gave Drew a look before she started hitting her son with a folder that was laying nearby. "Whoa!" Drew jumped up and grabbed her. "You're making the cut worse mam. Please," he pinned her arms down. "Holly can you take Mr. Loftis here to the waiting area?"

"Sure this way sir," the nurse led him out.

Drew got her cleaned up and started on the stitches when Jordan came in and started watching over his shoulder. "Sutures need to be closer and straighter."

He tried to ignore her but she was making him nervous. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure."

They stepped into the hallway. "If you have a problem with what I'm doing please don't address it in front of my patients."

"Excuse me?"

"You scolded me like a little kid in front of someone I'm treating," he explained, a bit of attitude in his voice.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you talk to your Drill Sargent that way?"

"You're not my Drill Sargent," he told her.

"No but I'm your boss," she said and walked away.

"Multiple victim MVA on I 90," Kenny shouted. "Need two for life flight, ground is landlocked due to traffic."

"Ok Paul take over Drew's stitches. TC you and Drew are on deck," Topher started barking orders.

"Send Paul with TC," Drew said.

"It's not negotiable Drew get your ass on the helicopter," Topher told him.

The scene was chaos. Car fires, bodies strewn over the road and multiple people trapped in their vehicles. They both jumped in and started treating and triaging as quick as they could. They treated several patients each and got them prepped for transfer when Drew yelled for TC. "What is it?" he asked as he ran up.

"Infant and toddler in restraints trapped in the car!" Drew yelled trying to find a way in.

"Be careful Drew," they were on the edge of a very steep ravine, the car was upside down and partially hanging over the rocky out crop.

He took his foot and kicked at the shattered window until a piece of it peeled up then he took his hands and pulled at it until he could squeeze in. His hands were bloody so he pulled out two more pair of gloves and put them on. "Give me an infant C Collar!" he shouted to T. Once he had the infant stabilized he carefully held the baby stable with one arm and cut the restrains with his knife. In one smooth motion he had him on a backboard and was handing him through the window to TC who had now been joined by firefighters.

He turned back to the little girl in the car seat, her red hair hanging down since she was upside down. He tried to asses her injuries before touching her. He noticed he left arm was hanging at an odd angel and she had blood coming from a head wound but worst of all was the piece of metal pipe that had come off of one of the trucks on the highway that was stuck through her tiny body, through the car seat and out the back window of the car.

"Gonna need something to cut the pipe!" he shouted.

"We're on it drew! They've gone to get a torch and the Jaws of Life," T shouted back. He handed him some supplies so Drew could stop the bleeding and pack the wounds. He got a collar on her but she was hanging at such an odd angle it was painful to even look at. He splinted and bound her broken arm and was packing some gauze into the wound around the pipe when her small hands grabbed at him. "Hey," he turned so she could easily see him. "I know you're scared right now but everything is going to be ok."

"Mommy?"

"Mommy had to go to the doctor sweetheart but she will be waiting for you there. What is your name?"

"Charlie," she whined. "Hurts!"

"I know it does and we are going to make it stop soon ok?"

"Where's Jake?"

"Is that your little brother?"

"No Tobey is my stupid brudder Jake is my puppy. Is he ok? Mister you have to find him please!" She started squirming to get free.

"Whoa, you have to be still kiddo. I have a friend out there that will search for Jake if you stop."

"Kay," she sniffled.

"T!" he stuck his head back out the window. "We got to move she's losing a lot of blood and you need to find her dog Jake."

"Jake? Ok I will find the dog." Paramedics and firemen were on scene now and every one was being treated.

A fireman knelt down next to them. "We have the torch to cut the pipe but it's going to get hot maybe too hot. The pipe is copper and it will carry heat quickly. Our other option is to cut through it with the saw. There will be a lot of sparks but hopefully we can hold it stable enough to get it cut down and get her out of there."

"Sounds like the best way to go," TC said.

The fireman handed Drew his coat. "It will protect her from the sparks."

He nodded and crawled back to her. "Ok Charlie my friend is looking for Jake and our friends the firemen are going to help get you out of here but it's going to get really noisy. I'm going to cover you up with this jacket to keep you safe ok?" He wrapped the jacket around the car seat but he had to hold it there was no way to make it stay on its own. When the saw started she started screaming but Drew leaned over and kept her talking about everything from Jake to her favorite cartoons. He could feel the sparks pouring over his arm and shoulder but he just kept going.

"Done!" the fireman yelled. "Starting on the car now Doc! Hang in there!"

He took a deep breath ready to start talking again when he felt the car shift and then they were falling and he was slamming against all sides of the car.


	8. Chapter 8

T.C. hooked himself into a harness and repelled down the ravine with another fireman. "DREW!? Can you hear me Drew?" The car flipped dozens of times in the air and landed upside down compressing the tortured metal and smashing it almost flat. As soon as his feet hit the ground he was looking into the car. He saw the little girl and checked for a pulse. She was alive but barely. He moved to the side and hit Drew's arm causing him to groan. "Drew?!" He felt for a pulse and it was strong. "What hurts?"

"M'fine, get Charlie first she's critical," he sounded disoriented.

"Keep talking to me. What's hurting Drew," he asked as he and the fireman cut the car seat free from the seatbelt and loaded her into a basket to be pulled to the top.

"Head, back a little," he coughed and it hurt so bad he had to fight not to scream.

"Ok," T said as he was balancing the basket while the Fireman started up with her. He was finally able to let go and get back to Drew. "Can you move?"

He took inventory of himself like he had been taught to do in boot camp and decided nothing was broken. "Yeah," he tried but he couldn't.

"Ok, stay still so I can see what's going on." He felt around and realized that Drew was pinned by the back of the seat to the roof with enough pressure that he couldn't budge. "Going to have to get some help buddy. Hang on ok?"

"T?"

"Yeah?"

"Have someone call Rick. I don't want him to see this on T.V."

"Got it!" he stuck his head out of the car and radioed up top and told them what he needed.

"Kenny?" Molly gasped when he looked like he was going to pass out while on the phone.

"TOPHER!" he yelled as he hung up the phone.

"What?" Everyone gathered around because Kenny was never frantic.

"TC is on his way with life flight. Drew is down. He was trying to save a patient and somehow the car got pushed over the cliff."

"Injuries?" Kenny didn't respond. "Injuries Kenny?"

"Unknown."

By the time they landed everyone was waiting as they rushed him into a trauma room. "Drew, we've got you just relax and let us take care of you," Scott patted his arm. "On three," he told the others and they transferred him.

"I'm fine, really. Just hit my head."

"Why are there burns on your back, shoulder and arm then?" Jordan asked as they cut his shirt off.

"Jaws of Life," he explained. "Had to cover her."

The others looked at T. "A little girl he was working on," he explained. "We need a full body CT as soon as possible so let's get this scalp laceration sewn up. He was pinned between the back of a seat and the roof of the car and they had to cut him out," he emphasized the last words to the other doctors to try and convey how serious he could be injured.

Drew laughed so hard he couldn't stop and tears were leaking from his eyes. Kenny looked at Topher and TC confused. "Drew?"

He put his hand on Kenny's bicep, "he thinks I don't get it. They always talk over me like I'm the stupid little kid." He was laughing so hard he couldn't catch his breath.

"Get him to CT now!" Topher ordered afraid he had a bad head injury.

Rick came running into the ER. Kenny had called and said there had been an accident and Marsden and some of the guys had insisted on driving him. He appreciated it but they did not drive near fast enough so by the time they got there he was irritated as hell.

Krista and T met him at the door. "He's in CT right now, he's stable and as soon as we know more you will know."

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"We were out on a call and there was a child that was trapped. He was trying to keep her calm and somehow the car shifted."

"He fell off a cliff TC! Aren't there safety procedures that are supposed to prevent things like this?"

He honestly didn't know the answer to that. The firemen are supposed to be in charge of all that. Topher stepped in, "I know you're upset and worried but we are going to take great care of him."

"Yeah you seem to be doing a bang up job of that lately!" he roared. He was pissed! Pissed that the man he loved was always putting his life on the line no matter what and still had doubts about whether or not he was good enough. Before he could say anything else he saw Kenny and Paul pushing Drew back to the room and he followed.

"I'm fine," he said before Rick even made it too him. "I swear I'm fine. Please don't be worried."

"You fell off a cliff I'm worried," he took his hand.

"It was a ravine, not that bad."

"It was 180 feet down Drew!"

"But."

"No!"

"I'm,"

"If you say fine one more time they are going to have to surgically remove my foot from your ass!"

"Not hurt?" he tried to find the right word that wasn't 'fine'

Topher and Jordan walked in. "Good news," Jordan said. "There are no broken bones or skull fractures."

"You do have a major concussion though that we are going to have to keep an eye on," Topher added. "And you have some bruising around your kidney where you were pinned that Scott wants to do a couple more tests on."

"The burns will be a little painful but they should heal with no scaring," Jordan added.

"See I told you I was fine," he smirked. Kenny wrapped his arm around him like he was going to protect him from Rick and Drew played along grabbing his arm to hang on.

Rick tried not to laugh but it was a losing battle. He still acted mad though and pinched Drew's sensitive inner thigh causing him to gasp and squirm. "Not funny!"

TC walked in at that moment. "Umm? Should I come back?"

"How is Charlie?"

"Critical but stable. Her parents are here with her now."

"Jake?"

"Ahh Jake," T.C. sighed. "He has an injured paw and is now homeless. Seems that he was just a trial pup to see if the dog was compatible to the family and he wasn't. They were on their way to return him when they got into the accident. The little boy is highly allergic to him."

"Damn," Drew looked sad.

"Hey," Scott came in the room. "You ready for the ultra sound?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

"We can do it right here, Kenny can help me that way Rick doesn't have to go."

"Thank you," Rick said not wanting to let go of his hand.

"It's a little crowded guys, you can come back when we are done." They all left the room as Kenny pushed the machine toward the bed. "Drew we are going to roll you toward Rick," Scott informed and they got him rolled over.

Kenny shot a worried look at Scott when he saw how bad the bruising was around his kidney. Rick kissed Drew's head and cradled it in his arms. "You'll be safe as a Ranger," he said through his clinched jaw.


	9. Chapter 9

Scott had found massive bruising on the left kidney, the same one that had been injured in the attack before. He kept his concern quiet waiting on the consult from the renal specialist and was keeping him for a 12 hours of observation which allowed Drew to stay in the ER instead of having to be admitted.

Dr. Sampson, the nephrologist knocked on the door before stepping in, Scott following. "Dr. Alister?"

"Yes," Drew said from his spot on the bed. He looked tired and worn, dark circles under his eyes.

"I've gone over the results from your latest scans and labs and I'm afraid there has been some serious damage you your left kidney."

"What?" Rick asked sitting up straighter in his chair. "How bad?"

"The tissue in the kidney is damaged and swollen but it's too early to tell if it is going to scar. Being a doctor you know what that means but I want to reassure you that we will do everything we can to get through this together. We are going to start with IV fluids and some broad spectrum antibiotics. You're going to be staying with us for the next 72 hours at least so we can do repeat labs every two hours and make sure that your creatinine levels are stable. We are going to start giving you some fresh frozen plasma to help the kidney heal and we will do another CT tonight and one in the morning to make sure there is no bleeding or swelling increase. You will be on strict bed rest Dr. Alister. I don't have to tell you how much of a risk moving around is and how dangerous it will be to the future health of your kidney."

"Of course," his voice was almost robotic.

"I realize that you are a solider and the stress it has to put on you wondering about the ramifications of this type of injury but please, don't jump to any conclusions," Scott pleaded. "We need to give it time before we will have any educated decision if it will heal fully or not. We need to keep your blood pressure under control which means keeping your stress under control. I'm going to give you something for pain and something for your nerves."

"No, I don't need," he stopped. "My nerves are fine."

"Drew, you're trembling and your pressure is off the chart. Let me do my job?" Scott asked.

He nodded and curled up with his head on Rick's arm. He was failing as a doctor and now there was a chance he wouldn't be a soldier anymore?

Kenny stepped up behind him and started administering his meds and hanging the plasma. He put a supporting hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be ok man. We'll be back to making Topher want to pull his hair out in no time.

Rick looked at Kenny with tears in his eyes and mouthed 'thank you'.

Once they were alone Drew broke down. He didn't say anything he just clung to Rick like he was the only life raft in the middle of the ocean. He reassured him, never stopping the constant mantra of how things would be ok and they would be back to doing the things they loved in no time until Drew finally fell asleep.

Rick had stepped out about an hour ago after Scott told him Drew would be asleep for a while and was now back. He approached the nurse's station, "Kenny?"

"Hey he's doing fine he's still asleep."

"What is the hospital's policy on service dogs?"

"If they are official service dogs who have the little harness they are fine with them," Ragosa answered as he knew the policy before he became a doctor.

"Why?" Kenny asked.

"Have a friend that works with Wounded Warrior that was wondering," he said walking toward Drew's room. He hoped this was the right thing to do. He stood next to the bed and unzipped his jacket carefully placing the tiny puppy next to his husband.

Drew felt something soft and wet rubbing his face and tried to brush it away only to have something tug on his shirt. He cracked one eye open then the other and blinked a few times. There was a little fur ball looking at him. It looked just like a husky but was the size of a tennis ball and it had a little purple cast on its paw. It playfully poked at Drew with its nose. He looked around, confused until his eyes landed on Rick.

"He needed a friend and I thought maybe with the new place and all we'd have room," Rick smiled at him. He knew Drew had wanted a puppy for a while and well it just seemed right.

"This is Jake?" he realized as picked the pup up to inspect it and noticed it had a service dog harness on.

"I had a friend who owed me a favor that works for the Wounded Warror Project and since we are both war time vets we qualify to own a service dog and the hospital has to let him stay." He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. "I have all the paper work."

"You are amazing you know that right?" He pulled him closer and kissed him. Jake decided he didn't want to be left out so he started kissing both of them.

Kenny walked in to Drew's room an hour later to find Rick asleep in a chair leaned against the bed with his hand and Drew sound asleep as well. As he approached to hang another bag of plasma he noticed something move next to Drew's arm. He was startled at first but then he grinned and stepped out the door. "Krista?" he motioned for her to come over there. "Look."

She walked in and went to Drew checking that he was ok. As she reached over a little furry head popped up and looked at her. She gasped and jumped back as it stretched and yawned. The puppy didn't seem to be phased by the new occupants of the room as it toddled its way over Drew's arm and up on his chest giving him kisses demanding attention.

"Mmmnff," he groused and scratched the puppy without opening his eyes.

"That might just be the cutest damn thing I have ever seen," Kenny laughed.

"Of course I am," Drew muttered.

Rick laughed having woken when they came in the room but kept his eyes closed. He looked up at Drew and the pup, both were smiling though one was sleepy. He'd done a good thing.

"Hey kid how are you holding up?" T.C. asked as he entered then froze.

"Is that?"

"Yes," Rick smiled. "That's Jake."


	10. Chapter 10

Topher knocked on the door. "Enter." He smiled and went in the room. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Drew shrugged, "sort of numb I guess?"

"Anything I can do or get for you?"

"No, thanks for asking though."

He sat a little gift bag down on the bed next to Drew. "Lynn got some things for you and Jake." He didn't like the uneasiness that was in the air around them right now.

He smiled and looked inside the bag. "Rick took him for a walk and went to pick up some food and supplies for him. As soon as they get back I will take some pictures of him with this stuff and send them to her."

"She'd love that." He sat for a moment looking at his hands. "Can we talk? I know you have a lot going on but I'd like to clear the air about something."

"Of course," he'd been expecting something about his internship and continued position at the hospital.

"The other night when I got so upset about the dry drowning case," he started.

"You don't have too."

He held up his hand, "No. Let me finish." He insisted. "I did something when I was over there that I wasn't proud of. As doctors we were meant to save lives not," he choked up.

It dawned on Drew that Toph had helped torture someone for information. They had all done things they didn't like, things that made them lose sleep at night and sometimes you couldn't let it go. "Did they get what they needed?" Topher looked at him confused but didn't answer. "Toph, did they get what they needed?"

"I don't know," he said softly.

"The information you were trying to get was to save soldiers' lives and to end a war. It's a sad harsh fact that war isn't won by diplomacy and human rights. War is dirty, it's nasty and it's final. You make choices based on the evidence you have, the moment you have it. You don't get to launch a year's long investigation into someone's guilt or innocents. You have to base it on what's in front of you while doing your best to keep your compassionate, human side and stay sane at the same time."

"You do things you weren't proud of?" He asked.

Drew nodded. "So That Others May Live." It was a simple statement but it was the code Combat Medics live by. You put your live on the line so that others may live. "Believe me Toph they did worse. We saw things that would give the devil himself nightmares." He let the silence linger for a moment. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You're one of the good guys."

"We," he said with tears in his eyes, "we are the good guys. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

"It's not like we get to pick and choose when we have flashbacks. I'm just glad to know that I didn't mess up as bad as I felt like I had." He chewed at his lip, a nervous tick he had. "I figured you were coming to talk to me about letting me go."

Topher's eyebrows shot up to his hair line. "What?"

He shrugged, "I keep screwing things up. You, Jordan, several of the board members even the director have been riding me about being incompetent and not being able to cover first year stuff a lot lately. I've been trying to figure out what I needed to do because I knew the time was coming to make the call on whose contracts to continue."

"And you think I want to fire you?"

"No, yes," he sighed. "I don't think you want to do it maliciously but I think my performance may not give you any other choice. I thought about dropping back and putting another year of class time in but I don't know. Maybe it's my sign that this isn't what I'm supposed to be doing." He wiped angrily at a tear that escaped him. "Was going to quit and go Ranger full time but now," he waved his hand over his body, "now I may have to be medically discharged."

"Back up. The board members and hospital director have been giving you crap? How long has this been going on?"

"Since De La Cruse." He explained how they had tried to force him to quit and all that had been going on.

Topher ran his hands over his face. "Part of that is my fault I'm afraid. I put you up for a promotion. I had no idea that you were being done that way by the board, if I had I would have went to the mat for you. I will put an end to that right now. I'm your Attending Drew you are supposed to tell me if someone is harassing or trying to manipulate you. It's my job to protect you here."

"Promotion?" he was stunned. All this time he thought Topher was disappointed in him.

"Yes, I was going to make the formal announcement tomorrow but you are SAMH's newest Chief Resident. Double pay, double responsibility and double work but," he shrugged teasingly.

"Jordan was up for that job too wasn't she?"

He nodded. "Jordan is an outstanding doctor but even though she is a couple years ahead of you education wise you've had the hands on experience and you can make the tough calls without worrying about who'd going to be upset with you. When Krista screwed up on the burned airway you called her out on it and made her do her job without preamble. Everyone here respects you and your authority and according to the staff you are the easiest one to talk to about work issues. People had complained that Jordan would say things like 'if you do that then you become my problem. Don't become my problem' instead of addressing the problem."

"She's a great doctor," Drew defended but she really didn't have the leadership ability that was needed for the job.

"And a great person," Toph agreed.

The door opened and the click of tiny little claws and the thunk of one tiny little cast could be heard on the linoleum floor as Jake skittered into the room in front of Rick. "Hey," he greeted the two men. "Am I interrupting?"

"No," Topher smiled as he picked Jake up and started petting him. "Just dropping off a gift from Lynn and apologizing for being a jerk."

Rick looked questioningly at Drew who just nodded that it was all ok. "He also offered me a new position at the hospital."

He cringed hoping that Drew wasn't being demoted or something because he really wasn't sure how much more he could watch his husband take before he snapped. "Yeah?"

"Chief Resident," Drew smiled.

"That's amazing!" Rick hugged and kissed him.

They talked for a little while longer and showed Jake the cute squeaky toys and treats that were in the bag from Lynn. He pounced and played with them on the bed and they all too pictures. Rick videoed some of it along with a message from Drew and sent it to Lynn before Topher left them.

"Director Litchfield's office. How may I help you?"

"This is ER Chief Attending Dr. Topher Zia and I need to set up a meeting with Director Litchfield and the board of directors please."

Scott stopped by to check on his patient. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good. Ok fair," he changed his answer at the glare he received.

"I've got good news and just news for you. The good news is that has been no bleeding in or around your kidney since the accident and the swelling has started to decline."

"That's great news," Drew smiled.

"Yeah," Scott nodded, "but your lab work is showing a pretty big increase in your Serum Creatinine which means your right kidney isn't clearing out the toxins it needs to. We will keep an eye on it for a few more weeks but I'm sorry to tell you that your kidney has suffered damage it will not recover from."

"What? What does that mean?" Rick was panicked.

"It means that I will be about to function normally with the help of some medication to ensure my left kidney stays healthy and to help maintain what function I have on the right," Drew explained. "It also means that I will never go back on the active enlisted roster again."

"But that doesn't mean the end of your military career," Scott interjected. "You just can't go back into a combat situation."

He nodded. The news could have been a hell of a lot better and it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Drew could still be a Solider who served his country with honor but he would never be in active combat again. It would be a call that the Army it's self would have to make on whether or not they wanted to keep him a part of the military or not.


	11. Chapter 11

The Center was open and in full swing doing ground breaking work in its area of expertise. They thought it would take a while before anyone would be willing to come forward and start talking about anything but they were wrong. They were booked solid and already helping people. What time Drew and Rick weren't spending at their respective jobs was being spent at the center even Jake was working making the soldiers laugh and smile through their sessions.

Drew was settling in to his new role at the hospital he was still an ER doctor and still had his beloved nightshift but he had a ton more responsibilities now which included taking care of the interns and other residents. He and Kenny were working great together in their jobs also being able to communicate with each other what the nurses needed to do their jobs better and in respect what the doctors needed from the nurses. Hell even the Director had backed off of him lately. He finally felt more like himself again.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a young boy screaming and crying in pain. He went to the exam room. "Hello," he pulled the curtain back, "I'm Dr. Alister." He recognized the man sitting by the bed as Rick's boss Mr. Franks and went to the little boy who Kenny and Holly were trying to calm down. He stepped up in Holly's place and put his hand on the boys shoulder. "What's your name?"

He was still struggling causing himself more pain. "Zach!"

"Zach I'm Drew and this is my friend Kenny. I know you're in a lot of pain right now but the quicker we can look at what's hurt the faster we can help ok? I need you to be really brave for me." Zach nodded his head and Drew carefully unwound the towel that had been wrapped around his arm. There was a deep laceration and you could see the broken radius. "How did you hurt your arm?"

"Fell off my bike."

"What were you trying to do fly?" this was no normal bike crash injury.

"Yes!" he got excited. "My brother does this awesome trick where he jumps on this big ramp and lets go of his bike with his arms and legs then lands! I tried it but I didn't jump high enough and when I let go I hit the bike then the ground."

"Well let's get you to X-ray and then we will talk about what kind of cool colors you want on your cast."

"Cast?" his eyes got big. "I get a cast?"

He and Kenny laughed. "Yeah you definitely get a cast buddy."

Kenny took Zach to x-ray while Drew spoke to Mr. Franks. "I know he broke the radius bone but there are a lot of small bones in the wrist and hand I want to check with x-ray before I definitively tell you what's wrong. I will put a call in to ortho to double check my findings."

"Thank you. Zach thinks his brother is the reason the world revolves and that he can do anything Mark can do."

"He's the older sibling," Drew laughed. "They tend to be perfect in the younger sibling eyes."

He nodded, "Problem is Mark encourages things like this then picks on him when he gets hurt. Kids." Drew could tell that Mr. Franks was exasperated and upset. "I love them both with all my heart and it may be wrong of me to say this but I wish just once that Zach could sit Mark on his ass and prove to himself that he was as good as he is." He looked up at Drew embarrassed. "I'm so sorry just unloaded like that."

"Don't be sorry, I have siblings I understand," he laughed. "Is his brother here?"

"Yes, I made him come in case you needed information on what this trick was or something."

It took about forty-five minutes to get the x-rays and get back to the room. Drew came in and pulled the scans up on the computer. "Ok Zach this is the x ray of your arm buddy. See this?" He pointed to a line on the screen. "That is where the bone in your arm called the radius is fractured. It doesn't require surgery to fix we can just cast it but."

"But?" Mr. Franks asked nervously.

"There is a very small bone here in the center of your wrist called a capitate bone and it's pretty much crushed buddy so we will need to talk to a surgeon about how to fix it." He looked at Mr. Franks, "I have a call in to our best surgeon and he will be down for a consult soon. I am going to have to go ahead and put a pressure wrap on this to hold it stable though ok?"

"Will it hurt?"

"It might be a little uncomfortable for a few seconds while we wrap it but as soon as we are done it will feel better." As if on cue Paul walked in with supplies.

"Hey Zach I'm Paul," he smiled. "I'm going to help Dr. Alister put your cast on."

Drew was as gentle as he could be but he had to manipulate the bone back into place and it was painful. He held the arm stable while Paul wrapped it. "Paul and I were hoping we could get your help with something Zach."

"You want my help?" he was excited.

"Top secret stuff," he looked at him seriously "and you have to follow through or it won't count."

"What is it?"

"A couple of people have been playing tricks on us and we were hoping you would help us get them back really good." Paul had the arm wrapped and secure so he sat it on a pillow on his chest then Drew stepped out of the room and came back with a super soaker. "You remember Dr. Rogosa? We are going to tell him you need something and when he comes in here I want you to shoot him with this and get him good and wet!"

Zach looked at his dad with wide eyes. "Can I?"

He shook his head with a smile, "If that's what the doctor orders, why not?"

Drew stepped into the waiting room. "Mark Franks?" An average teenage skater kid stood. "We need to talk." He led him out of the visitors lounge to the doctor's lounge. "Zach has a broken arm and wrist."

"Great, maybe the runt will stop trying to copy everything I do," he laughed.

"You do know how much he looks up to you right? He copies you because he wants to be like you?"

"Yeah, yeah" he rolled his eyes. "Are a shrink or a doctor?"

Drew laughed a sort of evil little laugh that if anyone who knew him had heard they would have been worried.

"Ahh!" He heard Ragosa yelp and then the sound of sneakers slipping on a wet floor.

Scott knocked on the door and stepped around the wet floor sign into the room. "Mr. Franks?" He shook the father's hand then the sons. "I went over your x-ray and I think as young as you are that we will be fine without surgery. If for some reason something changes I can go in and place a pin through two of the bones to hold things stable but since you are still growing I honestly think we will be fine without it."

"That's wonderful news," Mr. Franks said shaking his hand again.

"Drew said to tell you that he would be by in just a few with the colors to pick for your cast," he told Zach. "There his is," he laughed as Drew and Kenny slid into the room and started fiddling with a bunch of stuff in the cabinet.

When they were done they went over to Zach and started unwrapping his hand. Mark came in and Drew winked a Zach and Kenny nudged his shoulder to watch. "Mark," Drew said, "grab me that box of plaster tape in the cabinet by the door so Zach can pick a color."

He started to say no but his father's glare stopped him. He yanked the cabinet door open and suddenly everything was white and dusty. He coughed and sputtered angrily but Zach was laughing hysterically. Mission accomplished, Drew thought.


	12. Chapter 12

Things in the ER had been crazy lately and everyone was bitchy. Drew was pretty sure he was bitchy himself working through the pain of his kidney issue and the concussion but something was going to have to give soon. He was trying to hash out a deal with the board of directors to get the nurses a little more help since night shift tended to have more trauma patients. He felt like they, well most of them, gave one hundred percent and he could take some of the workload off of them if he could hire some aids to do the simple things like bathing and linen changes ect. Of course that meant he had a ton of paper work to do for approvals from them board, the unions, payroll and HR but he felt like his team was worth it. He sighed and rubbed his eyes glaring at the computer screen. He looked up as several files of papers were slammed down next to him. "I'm not your secretary, Doctor" Jenna, one of the nurses said.

He'd been having a lot of complaints lately about some of the nurses' attitudes and he was trying to deal with them as diplomatically as he could. He wanted everyone to be happy and work to be as fun as it safely could be but it seemed like the more he tried to make everyone happy the worse attitudes were getting. "Excuse me?"

"You're a doctor, you get paid more than me so you can hire somebody to be your errand girl. My union rep says I don't have to do this."

"Tell your rep I'd like to have a conversation with him. He can reach me here anytime."

"I will," she huffed "and the other nurses will back me! Right Molly?"

Drew looked at Molly who had always been a good nurse. A little rude at times but she was good at her job. He fully expected Molly to tell Jenna to settle down and be rational but she didn't. "I think we get taken for granted all the time. We get used to do the doctor's jobs for half the pay."

Now he was getting pissed. "After everything we have worked on the past couple of months and that's how you feel?" It was a blow he wasn't expecting. Molly had been the first one to come to him when he took this job and he addressed her problem and solved it quickly and now she wasn't even going to stand up for him? His head was pounding and he could feel the anger building and he tried to calm himself. He was one smartass remark away from firing the entire staff.

She shrugged and he shook his head. "Look just because I've worked with you for a while doesn't mean I have to think you're a great boss. I think things need to change," she said absently though she looked a little uncomfortable.

Drew's jaw clinched. "Attention all ER Night Shift! All Staff Members will report to the doctor's lounge in twenty minutes for a MANDITORY SHIFT MEETING!" He grabbed the files, went to his office and slammed the door.

Kenny, who had been with a patient and missed what had just happened, approached Jenna and Molly, "What was that about?"

"Unfair treatment in the workplace?" she snapped her gum.

"What did you do?" his heart sank.

Twenty minutes later everyone was in the lounge waiting on Drew. He came in with his arms full of papers handing them out to everyone and handing Kenny and Topher Files as well.

He turned to face Jena, "You threatened me with your union rep earlier because you were asked to assist me in some file work. Here," he handed her several papers from her union, the hospital and himself. "You're fired. It's been cleared with your union and everything," he snarked and was not sorry for his attitude at all.

Molly started to protest but he held up his hand. "I have told everyone here that my door is open and I do everything I can to make things good for all the staff but I will NOT be treated like this or spoken to like this much less threatened for asking someone to do something in their job discerption!" He took a calming breath.

"Kenny and I have tried to work both sides of this and keep everyone happy but now I'm so over it. If you can't act like the grown-ass adults you are then I will solve all conflicts to the best of MY discretion which is technically all I am required to do." He paused then spoke again. "Let me reiterate my Job Description," he looked at Molly, "in case you want to let YOUR union rep know, is too solve staff problems to the best of my ability NOT to YOUR satisfaction. The only person who HAS to approve what I do is Dr. Zai."

Topher nodded, "you're right." Several of the staff started fidgeting nervously.

"I've tried being nice and apparently that's not good enough so maybe we need to go military style." He turned to Kenny. "You will make out the shift schedules completed with a break list, work schedule per nurse, requested time off which must be preapproved the schedule will be equally divided as there will be no more personal over time requests and have it on my desk a day in advance so you have two to make tonight."

"Topher I will have a schedule for you as well for the doctors completed with the same terms for the residence and interns then we won't have to worry about random breaks or being able to have lunch with your friends or getting overtime so you can have extra cash to do something special. It's a lot less work for me to have to deal with since I only think of myself here."

Topher and TC cringed. They had no idea what was happening but they knew Drew well enough to know that he'd hit his limit for some reason and when that happened people had better watch out.

"From now on, since we can't get along without threating everything will be by the book and if you fuck up you get written up. If it happens twice you are fired, no more second chances. To all the nurses, that extra fifteen minuet break a night I managed to find for you? It's revoked."

"You can't do that!" Molly demanded.

"Actually he is the only reason you got that break," Topher interjected. "The council said it wasn't in the budget or the time frame so Drew gave up his lunch hour and his two breaks so all of you could have an extra fifteen."

"What?" Kenny hadn't known that.

"I took over for them so they could have the time. I did a nurses job so they could get what they felt the deserved," Drew explained. "Now it's my turn and every time any of you feel a complaint about how you're treated building remember one thing. I tried. I gave everything I could to both sides and none of you even tried to meet me half way. Any questions? Good! Meeting Adjourned!" He left the lounge without giving anyone time to speak.

Rick looked up from his desk as Mr. Franks walked into the room. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked motioning for the man to sit down.

"I wondered if you could pass something along to your husband for me?"

"Sure?" confused.

He handed him an envelope and a picture of a boy with a multicolored cast standing by a wrecked bike giving the thumbs up sign. "Zach broke his arm a couple days ago and Drew is the doctor who took care of him."

"Ahh," now he understood. "That's a cool cast he's got there."

Mr. Franks nodded. "Drew and a nurse named Kenny cut pieces of plaster tape for hours making a cool design for him but I swear the best part of the night, aside from finding out no surgery was required was when they pranked Zach's older brother."

Rick cringed, "They pranked him? I'm so sorry. Sometimes they can get carried away in the fun of the moment."

"No it was a good thing," he explained. "Mark is mean to his little brother so it was what Zach needed that night." He took out his cell phone and showed him the picture of Mark covered in white powder.

Rick laughed, "We both get what it's like to be the kid brother. We kind of have a soft spot for siblings."

"I don't make a habit of getting involved in the personal lives of my employees but I know the trials are set to start in a de days and I was wondering with everything that's going to happen if you and Drew might need some extra protection?"

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know all the detail but I do know enough to know it's going to be hard for both of you and if there is anything we can do to help we would be glad to."

"Why do you know about the trials?" he didn't understand since the trials were to be military.

"Drew's mother," he didn't like her from what he'd read. "She's civilian so the FBI will be involved."

A look of understanding crossed his face. "How many people know?"

"Not many, just a small team that is headed by me. I've read the case files, watched all the depositions, read medical reports," he cringed at some of the memories. "They are dangerous people Mr. Lincoln, I'm sure you're aware of that first hand and if we can make both of you feel safer going through all of this then it's the least we can do."

"I hope it doesn't come to that Sir but thank you for the offer. It's going to be hard for him to relive his past and all the abuse but he wants to make sure they won't ever be able to hurt anyone again. I'm just not sure what's going to happen when it's all out there. I know Drew and this is going to kill him inside." Tears stung his eyes thinking about the hell he was going to have to watch the man he loved endure.

"Anything you need, either of you, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you sir."


	13. Chapter 13

"Drew!" Gwen shouted as they rolled the gurney thought the bay doors.

"What have you go?" he asked as he started running along beside them.

"Gsw to the right hip and to the right thigh. Blood started on scene pressure bandages applied, bleeding slowed."

Drew lifted the bandages and took note of where the bullets had hit. "Angry wife?" he asked Gwen.

"Girlfriend," she shook her head. "Seems Romeo here thought he could be with his wife and her sister at the same time."

"Ouch that's never a good idea my man."

Jordan came in and put her gown and gloves on. "How can I help?"

"Take the gsw on the thigh," Drew said gratefully as he stepped to the other side to examine the hip.

"Bullet is still embedded but I can get it," Jordan said. "Clamp." The nurse handed her a pair of clamps and she pulled the bullet free.

The man screamed and flailed grabbing Jordan by the hair and head butting her. "You bitch!"

Drew dug his knuckle into the wound on the man's hip making him writhe in pain as the nurses strapped his arms and legs down. "Jordan?" he went to her as soon as his hands were free.

"Fine, I'm fine," she brushed it off.

"Get the on-call surgeon down here for a consult on him," Drew ordered as he pushed Jordan backwards into the next trauma area. He removed his gown and bloody gloves and replaced them and grabbed some supplies. "He got you good."

She hissed as he cleaned the cut on her eyebrow. "Yeah well it's a part of the job. You get hurt all the time and you survived."

He faltered for a second but kept working until the wound was cleaned and butterflied. "You need to get a CT to make sure you don't have a concussion."

"I'll do it after my shift."

"You'll do it now or you won't finish your shift." He really didn't understand the attitude.

"Yes sir," she stood up and mock saluted.

"That's it," he growled and grabbed her arm pulling her out of the room, down the hall and into a supply closet. "What the hell is wrong with you Jordan? Why are you acting like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why are you being like this to me? What did I do?" He sighed leaning against the wall, "I miss my friend and I don't know how to fix this." He waited for her to say something but when there was nothing he shook his head and turned to leave.

"I'm scared," she whispered as tears started to drip down her face. He was there in an instant and for the first time in two months she felt safe; protected. She clung to him and cried until she'd cried herself out.

He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. "What are you so afraid of? Is it TC?" He wondered if the flashbacks were getting out of control.

"No," she sniffled. "He doesn't know. Trevor is back," she buried her face against his chest.

"The patient that is obsessed with you?" he pushed her back by the shoulders. "How long has he been out?"

"Two months. They sent me a letter and told me he was being released early for good behavior."

"You got a restraining order right?"

She shook her head no, "he has to do something physical first."

"Why haven't you said anything before Jordan?" he was livid.

"I didn't want to get anyone else involved. I would never forgive myself if anyone got hurt."

He understood that and it broke his heart. He knew that she was right in a way. If TC knew what was going on he would go off the deep end and end up getting in trouble for going after the guy and as great as that sounds the reality is Trevor would be seen as a victim and TC would be put in jail leaving Jordan alone and feeling guilty. "You could have told me."

She looked into his eyes knowing that he was right, she could trust him with this but she didn't want him to get hurt either. "But you have so much going on Drew. I didn't want you to have to deal with my crap."

He lifted her chin so she had to look into his eyes. "I am perfectly capable of defending you and myself little one. I am pretty tough except when it comes to old women, then I seem to get my ass handed to me." It was a joke about how his mother had been the mastermind behind all his pain; a bad joke.

She smacked his side and frowned at him. "You're not funny Alister."

"Sure I am," he smirked, "and it makes you love me even more." She shook her head but smiled up at him. "No more pushing me away Jordan. I thought I'd done something to make you hate me and that's not fair."

She hugged him and rocked him, "I'm so sorry I never meant to make you feel that way. I just didn't know what to do. I love you. You're my baby brother."

He kissed the top of her head, "I love you too but I wish you were a boy. Sisters are such a pain in the ass," he teased making her laugh.

The door opened and TC stuck his head inside. "Everything ok? Raogsa said Jordan got hit."

"Everything is fine," Drew smiled. "She just didn't want to go get a CT so I had to get all forceful. Now she agrees."

Jordan chuckled and silently thanked drew for not saying anything. "I'm going," she sighed dramatically.

"Oh just for that you are on cold and flu for the rest of the week," he teased as he slipped out the door.

"Drew!" she growled.

He stuck his head back in the door, "Remember if your injured and you don't do as I say you become my problem. Jordan don't be my problem," he mocked her before running away.

"Alister."

"Hey babe," Rick purred into the phone. "How are things tonight? Any better?"

He shrugged like Rick could see him. "It is what it is."

"That good huh?"

"I keep trying to do the right thing, treating people the way I want to be treated and it just never works out." He sighed, "I guess I expect too much."

He sounded so down. "If I come hang out do you think we could talk between patients?"

"As much as I would love to see you Rick you'd just be wasting your time. It's my job, my bed, I made this mess now I will deal with it."

"That's bullshit Drew. You're beating yourself up for being nice and trying to help other people. It pisses me off that someone like you tries so damn hard and just repeatedly gets kicked in the face for it. It's stupid and it makes me want to hurt someone."

"You're cute when you go all alpha you know that?" he smiled. "You're right though it is stupid. I'm stupid for even trying anymore. I'm sure it's my fault for.."

"For what? Trying?" he demanded.

"Maybe?" He saw Kenny approaching with some paperwork. "Have to go. Love you." He didn't hear Rick's phone creak as he squeezed it.

"Here are the schedules you asked for," he handed him some papers.

"Thanks I'll go over them by end of shift so you can post them for the nurses."

"I didn't know what was going on. I should have because I'm the head nurse but I missed it."

"Not your fault. They know you would have put a stop to it and they thought they could take advantage of a push over like me."

"Pushover? I've seen you as a lot of things but never a pushover."

He shrugged, "guess I didn't get the heartless part of personality most people got because I want to try to help everyone."

"It's what makes you such a great doctor. You're compassionate and caring. That's not a fault Drew it's a strength. Don't let them take away what makes you, you."

He turned when someone slapped his ass. "Yeah even if you are a pain in the ass," Jordan teased and handed him her CT results.

"Wow," he looked over the paper. "They found a brain and everything?"

"I even made them do it twice I was so shocked," Scott laughed as he approached.

"Oh you two are hilarious," she rolled her eyes.

"Cold and Flu duty," Drew arched his brow in insistence. "Any signs of concussion I expect you to tell me. Got it?"

"Yes," she admitted defeat.

He turned and got a chart when he nearly lost his balance. Scott and Kenny steadied him. "Yeah like that," Scott glared at him. "You have a concussion as well if I recall."

"I'm fine," he pushed past them to the next patient.


	14. Chapter 14

Drew took a sip of his coffee and signed what felt like his ten thousandth order for the night. It was really slow tonight, the kind of slow that is someone mentioned it would mean a major disaster was going to happen. It had allowed him to catch up on everything and even get a head on some stuff but now he was done and bored. Glancing at his phone he thought of calling Rick but he figured he was sleeping by now. Pushing himself up he decided to go see what sort of trouble he could get into.

Krista, Paul and Ragosa were playing with a nerve stimulator taking turns shocking the heck out of each other if they missed a trivia question. Ragosa was winning and gloating. "Want to play?" Krista asked.

"Um no," he laughed. "Not a big fan of electrical shock."

"Oh it's not that bad," Paul smiled. "See?" He jumped when Ragousa pushed the button.

"Not bad?" He took the control and looked at it. "Humm," he fiddled with the buttons. "Ok ask him a question."

"How many miles of blood vessels are there in the average human body?" Krista asked.

"They will take an average it doesn't have to be exact," Drew added.

Paul looked lost, he had no idea. "Uumm 32000?"

"Nope, About 62,000" Drew smiled as he put his finger over the button.

"Um no I..AHHHHHH!" Paul yelped as he was shocked.

"Uh oh," Topher laughed as he joined them. "Drew took the training wheels off."

"Well they will never learn if they don't play with the big dogs."

Topher laughed, a little too much which made Drew look at him questioningly. "Big dogs? You said big dogs and," he pointed toward Drew's foot where the tiny little Jake was standing.

"Jake?" Drew scooped the tiny pup up and scratched his ears. "What are you doing here?"

TC petted Jack also cooing at him. Krista and Jordan shook their heads. "You would think someone who fights MMA would have a bad ass huge dog."

"Yeah not an adorable little ball of fur," Krista laughed.

"Hey! I will have you know Jake is a bad ass dog regardless of how small he is," Drew insisted.

"Yeah he can take out a little toe with one bite," Rick laughed stepping up beside them. Jake wagged his tail hitting Drew in the arm repeatedly.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked his husband.

"I know we are married but I can take you to lunch still right?"

He smiled, "sounds great. Got to tell you though the choices are not great."

"I'm here for the company anyway."

"Ok give me the dog," TC took Jake from Drew. "He's going to hurl if he has to keep listening to that."

"Hey! I'll have you know Jake is very loving and affectionate," Rick teased.

"In that case please take him TC because you could learn a little about being romantic," Jordan smirked.

Drew took Jake back, "Give me my dog. I don't want you corrupting him." Everyone laughed as Rick and Drew headed to the food trucks.

He sat at one of the tables with Jake and watched as Rick ordered a ton of food. His stance, the way he put his hand on the small of Drew's back as they walked, his entire demeanor screamed that he was in full alpha mode. He'd been expecting it with the trial coming up hell if he were honest with himself he'd been wanting it for a while now. It wasn't that Rick became super protective or even a little jealous, sure that was hot but what he loved the most was that it made him feel dominated in every way. Jake's ears perked up when Rick put all the food on the table. "Hungry babe?" Drew teased.

"Nope but you are."

"I am?" he loved pushing his buttons when he was like this.

"Yes, you are," he arched his brow. "Eat."

Drew picked up a fry and ate it as Rick broke a chicken sandwich in pieces and fed it to Jake. "Thanks for this," he gestured to the table. "Rough start tonight."

"I could tell. I hate hearing you like that. I can handle upset or depressed but when you have that I give up tone it bothers me a lot. Are things going better now?"

"I fired a nurse, revoked breaks and overtime pay so yeah," he chuckled "it's going better."

"Wow," he laughed. It wasn't like Drew to get like that so it must have been rough. The fact that Drew wasn't eating didn't go unnoticed. "Eat Alister or I will feed you," he warned.

He thought about being petulant and refusing so Rick would have to do it but work was not the right place for that so he picked at a salad. "Better?"

"It's a start," he warned as he took a drink of water. "Mr. Franks stopped by my office today and asked me to bring you this." He handed him the picture and the letter. "Seems you made a very lasting impression."

He opened the letter after looking at the picture.

 _Dr. Alister,_

 _Thank you for everything you did for us on Friday night. You are the best! Especially the part where I got to shoot the doctor with a water gun and them Mark got bombed with powder! My mom said she was sad she missed it because it was epic!_

 _I have decided that I want to be a doctor now not a BMXer so I talked to my dad about how be a doctor. He told me it took years of school and I'm not sure I'm up for that but I want to learn more from you. Mom suggested I volunteer at the hospital which is ok if I can volunteer with you but Dad said that you and your husband run a place called the Center and that a lot of important stuff happens there so maybe I could volunteer there?_

 _Which Should I do?_

 _Zach_

 _P.S. I included a picture of my bike after the epic crash!_

He gave the letter to Rick to read and he smiled. "Sounds like you have a buddy."

"He's a good kid," Drew nodded. "His brother is too he's just going through that rebellious phase."

"They take after their father," he nodded. "Mr. Franks made me an offer today and I'm considering taking him up on it."

"What offer?"

"He offered us security guards full time, during the trials. It would be safer and allow me to focus on just you." He took Drew's hand, "I'm not going to lie babe I'm worried. I don't know what they are going to try or how far they are going to go and I will not lose you to that."

He wasn't going to blow smoke, he was scared to. These were the most vicious people he'd ever had to deal with and some of them were family. Cara and Candy would be in the mix also which means Drew and Rick would have them all at the house and it would be crazy. If they had help maybe Rick could focus on him more? Was that being selfish? "Do you think he meant it?"

"Yes. He's part of the FBI research team that will be trying your mother since she is a civilian." He saw Drew cringe and didn't know if it was because someone knew or because of his mother.

"How will that work when I'm here. I can't have anyone who will get in the way or disrupt anything at the hospital."

"You could take time off for the trial."

"No, I will not let them stop me from doing what I love," he shook his head.

"I'm going to accept the offer Drew because I want to be able to take care of you," he leaned in and kissed him softly. "We will work out the logistics."


	15. Chapter 15

Drew had followed Jordan home the past few nights to be sure everything was safe and there had been no sign of Trevor until tonight. He was at the door trying to break into her house when the pulled in to the drive. "Call the police," he yelled at Jordan before jumping out of his truck and going after the man.

"Drew no!" she yelled as she dialed the phone.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Drew yelled as he approached.

"She's mine! You can't have her!" He screamed as he spun around and pointed a gun at Drew.

He held his hands up, "I think you have that backwards. YOU can't have her so why don't you put the gun away and go home?"

"I'll go," he nodded his head, "and she's coming with me." He made a step toward the truck and Drew wrapped up with him. He slammed him back against the door and smashed his hand over his head to try and dislodge the gun. Trevor had his own ideas and found an opportunity to knee Drew in the groin then head butt him.

Drew gasped and bent forward from the pain and lost the grip on the gun for a moment. Trevor lowered the gun and pointed it at him. Drew moved to block and they fell to the ground grappling. They rolled around on the grass trading punches and knees trying to gain control when a gun shot rang out.

"DREW!" Jordan screamed jumping from the truck and running to them at the same time three police cruisers skidded to a halt in front of them.

They got out of their cars, guns drawn. "Hands in the air! Don't move!"

Jordan froze in place. "Please my friend is hurt! There was a gunshot!"

Tensions got even higher hearing of a firearm. "Get down on the ground! Face first, arms out beside you."

"But!"

"Now or I will tase you!" She complied. "Sir I'm going to need you to roll over on to your stomach!" he said to Trevor who was laying on top of Drew. "SIR!"

Drew's ears were ringing from being so close to the gunshot and the fact he'd been hit in the head with the butt of the gun didn't help. He heard someone yelling but he couldn't make out what they were saying at first then he noticed the flashing blue lights. He held up his hands the best he could to show he wasn't armed but Trevor weighed a ton and it was hard to catch his breath. "Can't move with him on me!" He shouted hoping they could hear him.

"Sir, what is your name?" one of the officers asked.

"Alister, Drew Alister."

"Ok Mr. Alister can you tell me if the man on top of you is breathing?"

"Yes, I can feel him breathing."

"Where is the gun Drew?" Another officer asked.

"It's lodged between us smashing into my ribs on the left side," Drew told them.

"He was protecting me! Trevor had the gun!" Jordan yelled, they had cuffed her and moved her over by a car.

"Quiet!" an officer scolded.

Trevor started to stir and move his hands. Several things happened at once. Drew tenses because he know that Trevor was going after the gun. Several officers shouted at once and then there was a sharp stabbing pain followed by an electric shock so bad that he thought every muscle in his body was going to snap as he convulsed on the ground.

With a gun in play they couldn't take any chances on which one was really the assailant and had to take drastic action. They shot both men with Tasers. Trevor was rolled off of Drew and the gun was secured them each man was rolled on his stomach and handcuffed.

"Are you hurt?" the officer's voice sounded funny to him. He felt someone lifting his shirt. "I don't see anything but blood, no wound."

"Wound?" Drew asked.

"Abdomen over here!" another officer shouted.

"I'm a doctor. I can help!" Drew tried to set up only to be forced back to the ground. "I can help!"

"Paramedics are on their way," the officer told him. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah." They helped him to his feet and took him to a nearby squad car where they patted him down and took his wallet.

"Tell me what happened here tonight?" the officer asked.

"Was taking my friend home from work because Trevor has been stalking and threating her. When we got here he was at the door trying to break in."

"Why didn't you just call the police instead of engaging him?"

Drew shot him a look. "Really? He's out of jail after being convicted once for stalking her. All she got was a letter saying he was released and when she went to the police for a restraining order you told her he physically had to do something before you could help her. Well he physically attacked me with a weapon. Is that enough to take him to jail?"

"Yes and possibly you too if you instigated the fight!" the officer put him in the car and shut the door.

He had been finger printed, searched, photographed, had all his belongings put in lock up and given some ugly slippers to wear because apparently in jail you could hurt yourself with shoes? It felt like he'd been here forever but in reality it had only been four hours and they still hadn't allowed him his phone call. They said it was due to the nature of the case that no one could call outside yet which had him wondering what exactly the nature of the case was. He was pulled from his thoughts when the door clanked open and an officer stepped up. "You're being release Mr. Alister."

He stood, "why? You haven't even asked me any questions. I'm grateful but I would like my side of the story to be heard."

"It has been. They will explain when you get out side."

He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth so after gathering his things and getting his shoes back on he was walked to the door and shown out. The midday sun was bright in the sky and he had to squint for a few seconds so his eyes could adjust that's when he saw a group of people rushing toward him. Jordan got to him first and nearly knocked him over when she hugged him.

"I'm so sorry Drew! Are you ok? Did they hurt you? Did he hurt you?" she fussed as the others gathered round.

He took Rick's hand as he joined in the hug. "I'm fine Jordan I promise. He didn't hurt me."

"But you could have been shot!" she cried.

"He didn't shoot me see? All in one piece."

"He didn't shoot you because you managed to twist the gun away. He tried but when he pulled the trigger the gun was aimed at himself and not you," Rick explained almost too calmly.

"Is he dead?"

"Not yet," TC growled. "They took him to county and were doing surgery to remove the bullet. Last word was that he missed the vital organs and would recover."

He nodded, it was a lot to take in. "How did I get out?"

"Let's go to the house. Everyone is welcome but this isn't the place for this conversation," Rick insisted.

"He needs rest," Topher offered.

"We need to talk," Jordan said.

"Maybe we should wait," TC offered.

"No," Drew said, "its fine just come to the house." Rick took him by the arm and shoved him toward the truck. "Rick?" He was being rather forceful.

He pulled the truck door open and pushed so that he was sitting in the seat. He tried to grab the seatbelt but he was shaking so bad he couldn't. "What the hell were you thinking Drew? You could have gotten killed!" he shouted and shoved his hands against Drew's chest.

He pulled Rick tight against him rubbing his back and kissing him tenderly. "I'm sorry love. I was just trying to protect her. He was dangerous and no one was helping. If I hadn't been there she would be dead."

"You could be dead!"

"But I'm not," he soothed. "You would have done the same thing Rick and you know it. It's who we are," he whispered before kissing him passionate enough that his knees went weak.

They all sat around the living room after Drew had showered and changed out of his bloody clothes. Krista and Topher had stopped and picked up some lunch for everyone and were serving it. "I've waited patiently I think for an explanation," TC said. "So someone want to tell me what the FUCK is going on?" he shot Drew a glare.

"He was protecting me," Jordan said softly. "I told him about Trevor and he was watching out for me."

"You told him and not me?" TC demanded.

"I made her tell me."

"Made her?"

"Yes. She was being a bitch to me and I got tired of it so I made her tell me what was wrong," he bristled.

"You knew she was in danger but didn't tell me?" TC sat on the edge of his seat.

"I asked him not to TC," Jordan snapped. "You would have went and tried to kill him!"

"Yeah?"

"So you would have been in jail then who would have protected me?!" she shouted.

"But it's ok for Drew to go to jail?"

"He," she started and stopped. "I didn't mean for anyone to go to jail."

"Enough," Drew sighed. "I'm a little more level headed then you and a little more in control of my temper when it comes to certain things. I wasn't going to go beat the man to death but when I saw him trying to break in I saw the gun stuck in his waist band. I was going to leave but he saw us so I got out of the truck and engaged him until Jordan could get the police there. I tried to get him to leave but he refused then he pulled the gun and I acted. You," he pointed to TC, "would have ran up on him and beat the shit out of him because he was messing with her and he would have shot you dead in the middle of her yard! Is that what you wanted on her conscious?" He didn't realize he was shouting by the time he was through until he felt Rick and Krista's hands on his back.

"When I lost my leg I remember you yelling at Drew to walk it off that you were working and he needed to go because he was too close to the situation, too emotional to see thing rationally," Rick offered.

"So?" TC asked.

Topher looked at him and shook his head. "Because where Jordan was concerned you would have leapt before you looked T."

He hated to admit it but he knew they were right. He reached out to shake Drew's hand. "Thank you."

They hugged and the tension in the room melted. "Now can someone tell me how I got out of jail?"

They all laughed and Krista explained, "One of the neighbors got it all on video. The police took the video but we got to see it first. It showed everything and they had no doubt it was self-defense."

"They had to keep you until he was out of surgery to make sure he lived because there would have been more of an investigation if he died. They didn't want to take a chance on you hearing any information from anyone else," Rick explained.

"That and they wanted Rick to calm down before he came to the station," Krista smiled. Drew looked perplexed. "He sort of lost it when he saw the video of them tasing you."


	16. Chapter 16

Warning: Explicit Graphic Detail Of Abuse

Rick rinsed his coffee cup and sat it on the counter. They didn't get a lot of rest last night because of the incident with Trevor and today? Well today was the first day of the trial against Drew's mother. A few of the other trials had already taken place through Army court martial because of their military rank and Drew had not been required to testify but his parents and Colonel Affliction were the only ones left to be tried and he was slated to testify at all three trials. Drew stepped into the kitchen wearing full Dress Blues and Rick's breath caught in his throat. "I forgot just how sexy you looked in that uniform Captain."

"Yeah?" He looked Rick up and down he was in his Dress Blue's as well, "not near as well as you." They kissed, slowly and lovingly for a long time finally breaking for air.

"I'll be right there with you every step of the way. I love you and I'm proud of you."

He rested his head on Rick's shoulder. "You've always been there for me and you've had to endure things I wish I could have kept hidden. I love you more than anything in this world and I want you to know that I understand if you can't stay for the testimony."

"Why wouldn't I stay?"

"There is just so much that is going to come out and I know you will want to protect me. I don't want you to get in trouble. I need you with me not in jail."

"I won't do anything stupid."

"Promise me?" he looked into his eyes.

"Promise."

Rick had been taken into the courtroom and Drew had been escorted to a private room until time for him to testify. The trial had been going on for over two weeks but Drew hadn't been allowed to be in the courtroom because he was slated to testify against his mother. For the past weeks witnesses from both sides had covered forensics, medical testimony, character witnesses, Military witnesses, eye witnesses who had turned state's evidence against them and now it was time for the final nail to seal her coffin; her son.

Fay Alister was brought into the courtroom and seated at the table next to her attorney Mr. Ross. The States Attorney, Ms. Biggs, was seated at the plaintiff's table along with Lynn Lincoln, Drew's attorney. Judge Calvin called the trial to order and Drew was sworn in.

Mr. Ross stood, "Mr. Alister I want to start with some simple questions. Is the lady sitting at the defendant's table your mother Fay Alister?"

"Yes she is Fay Alister."

"Your mother?"

"She gave birth to me."

"Your honor the witness is refusing to answer my questions in a way that's not prejudicial to my client. "

"Objection," Ms. Biggs stood. "Mr. Ross knows the relationship of his client and Mr. Alister and is already badgering my witness."

"Objection sustained. Let me warn both sides that childish antics will not be tolerated. This is a courtroom not a classroom." He turned to Drew, "and you Sir will answer the questions asked to the best of your ability or I will hold you in contempt. Understood?"

"Yes Sir," he nodded.

Mr. Ross started again, "Fay Alister is your birth mother?"

"Yes."

"She cared for you growing up? She provided you with a home and food, basic care?"

"For a while."

"A while? Isn't it true Mr. Alister that all of the discord in your home happened because of your hatred toward your father?"

"I never hated my father," he said softly.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said I never hated my father," he said loudly. "He hated me."

"Objection your honor Mr. Alister cannot testify to the feelings of his father," Mr. Ross snapped.

"Sustained."

"Were you sexually molested as a child?"

The question was so quick and unexpected it made him tense up. His heart pounded and he began to sweat. This was it. Would he have the courage to say it out loud? Rick, Cara, Candy and several of his military friends were sitting in the audience watching. "Mr. Alister?" Mr. Ross asked again. "Were you sexually molested as a child?"

"Yes," came out far too much like a sob then a statement.

"How old were you during your first experience?"

He swallowed hard, "Could you be more specific please?"

"Excuse me?" Mr. Ross paused, intentionally making this hard for him hoping he would back out of testifying.

He fidgeted nervously with the dress hat that was resting in his lap. "You said first experience. Do you mean the first time he forced me to preform orally or the first time he penetrated me with something?"

Rick's heart was pounding and his jaw clinched. He hated this. He felt Candy's hand on his back to try to calm him.

"I was thirteen when he first raped me," his voice trembled.

"And how did he rape you?" Mr. Ross asked.

"Objection your honor," Lynn tried.

"It's a simple question your honor since he asked to be more specific I want to be sure we are following," Mr. Ross countered.

"Over ruled for now. Please answer the question Mr. Alister," Judge Calvin stated.

"He put his penis in me," he closed his eyes as a tear fell.

"Where?" Mr. Ross asked.

"Objection!" Lynn yelled. "This is cruel you honor."

"If he can't answer the question then he shouldn't be on the stand," Ross sneered.

"I was sodomized ok?" Drew shouted.

"Order!" Judge Calvin banged his gavel. "There will be no out bursts in my courtroom and you will only answer questions when directed at you!"

He wanted to say it was directed at him but he knew he meant he had to wait for the attorneys to stop arguing.

"That answer is enough Mr. Ross, move on," Judge Calvin warned.

"Yes Sir. Mr. Alister why did your father rape you?" Mr. Ross asked.

"You will have to ask him."

"We will. This wasn't your first sexual experience though was it? Isn't it true that you were very Promiscuous and active in homosexual relationships before this incident?"

"No," he gritted. "I had not be sexually active in anyway other than with the bastard that called himself my father."

"Objection," Mr. Ross. "He cannot defame another person not present to defend himself."

"Sustained. Mr. Alister I know it's hard but you have to keep emotion out of this." Judge Calvin warned.

"I had never had any sort of sexual experience other than with my father prior to being sodomized," he gritted.

"What else did your father do to you?"

He looked at Lynn hoping she would object or stop this but he knew it was a line of questions that couldn't be avoided. "When I was four he forced me to perform oral sex on him as punishment because I spilled his beer. I'm afraid I don't remember each specific date that he shoved something inside of me or forced something down my throat but those weren't exactly milestones in my life Mr. Ross."

"Was your mother in the room for any of these incidence?"

"In the room? No."

"As far as you knew no one knew about what was happening but you correct?"

"Then I didn't think so but as time went on people,"

"Objection he cannot testify to other people's thoughts."

"Sustained. Mr. Alister you can only testify from personal knowledge not what you heard other people say."

God this was so frustrating! Why couldn't he just tell his story and be done? "Then the first person to know was my sister Cara when I was thirteen. She found me after he raped me."

"And what did Cara do?"

"She went and got our father."

"Not your mother?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You will have to ask her."

Mr. Ross nods and hands Drew some photos and papers. "Do you recognize these?" Drew nearly vomits and quickly pushes the papers away. "These are medical files from the doctor's visit you had that night yes?"

"Yes," his voice was shaky and he was trembling.

"Can you read what it says on the line titled reason for visit?"

He took several deep breaths but still couldn't do it. The paper shook in his hand and tears flowed no matter how hard he tried to stop them. "I…It says young man t..tried first homosexual experience and d..decided h..h..he wanted to stop but he went too far and his boyfriend couldn't s..s..stop. H..he tensed up causing himself great injury." His eyes searched for Rick for an anchor in the storm and when he saw him he had tears running down his face just as badly as he did.

Questioning went on for hours and covered every morbid bit or the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father and Colonel Affliction both overseas and on us soil. Mr. Ross tried to twist things around so that Fay Alister was innocent but thanks to the investigation and 'plan' Drew and his team had done they had hard evidence to prove what happened and her involvement in it. He thought his day was finally over when he was excused from the stand but he was wrong he had to sit in the courtroom and listen to Cara's testimony of the night she found him.


	17. Chapter 17

Notes: Flashbacks are in italic

The judge called for a thirty minuet recess as Drew was dismissed. The bailiff escorted him to a private conference room and made him sit down. "Mr. Alister are you ok?" He got no response. "Do you need medical attention sir?"

"No," his voice was rough and drained. The door swung open and Rick and Lynn rushed in. Drew stood as he approached. Rick embraced him holding him tight to his body and Drew broke. He sobbed uncontrollably. He cried for the torment he'd endured, the humiliation he'd experienced, the loss of his family, being robbed of his innocents and all the injustices he'd suffered.

Rick could feel the strength darning from Drew's body and turned them so he could sit on the table. "I've got you. You did great. I'm so proud of you." He continued to sooth him until the sobs subsided to the occasional hiccupping gasp. He cupped his face and lifted it so he was looking into his bloodshot, tear swollen eyes. "Hey, you still with me?"

"This was all a big mistake," he rasped. He wasn't ready for his most horrific, shameful, secret torment to be made public. What had he done? He couldn't breathe.

"No it wasn't. It was brave and courageous. You stood up to the monsters in the closet Drew. Most people wouldn't be able to do that. You are the reason these bastards will never be able to hurt anyone again. Rick could feel him shaking and hyperventilating and he knew he had to do something fast. He leaned in close and whispered. "Who do you belong too boy?" Scared eyes locked on to his and he squeezed his hand so tight he thought it was going to break.

"Who do you belong to boy?" rang trough his entire body. "You."

They were back in the courtroom for Cara's testimony. Drew was gripping Rick's hand so tight his knuckles were white. He could hear his sister talking about how she found him that night and the shape he was in and all the fights with their father and at the same time he let himself slip. He allowed himself to fall hard knowing Rick would catch him. He always caught him.

 _"_ _I can't believe we are really doing this!" Rick said buttoning his dress shirt. They had arrived in Sana Fe and checked into their room to get ready._

 _"_ _I can't believe you agreed to marry me," Drew smiled._

 _They had both planned to ask each other so each one had a ring in their pocket that the other didn't know about. Drew had the second part to the engagement ring he'd given Rick. They were both dressed in jeans and dark blue button down shirts and cowboy boots. Rick grabbed the keys and Drew's hand leading him out the door. They walked from the hotel to the court house where they applied for and received their wedding licenses. Drew was prepared to sign it then but Rick stopped him. "Not yet."_

 _"_ _What?" Drew asked._

 _"_ _Not yet," he smiled. "Come with me."_

 _Drew would have followed him to the end of the earth without question. "Where are we going?"_

 _"_ _I made some plans for us."_

 _"_ _Plans?"_

 _"_ _Just be patient."_

 _He put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss. "I can't be patient. I want you to be my husband."_

 _Rick still wasn't use to Drew's openness. This was something he'd dreamed they would have but never truly expected. It hit him that what he said had been the truth. He was afraid to come out because of his parents. He was afraid Rick would get hurt. All that time he just thought it was Drew being afraid of the ramifications of being gay he'd truly been trying to protect him from the real life monsters._

 _They had been walking for a while and Drew was pretty sure that Rick was lost and just didn't want to admit it. He was about to say something as they turned a corner but he stopped in his tracks. "How did you?"_

 _Rick was beaming when he saw Drew's reaction. "You like it?"_

 _"_ _It's perfect." They had walked to a small lake that had a walkway that led way out into the water to a gazebo. The sun was sitting and cast purple and red tones over everything. Drew noticed as they approached there were people in the gazebo._

 _Rick approached one of the men and shook his hand. "Thank you for setting this up for me Mr. Langum."_

 _"_ _It's our pleasure Mr. Lincoln. This must be Drew?"_

 _"_ _Yes, I'm sorry where are my manners? Mr. Langum this is Drew Alister, Drew this is Mr. Langum. He is a justice of the peace and will be performing our ceremony. He was kind enough to get a couple witnesses together to make it official._

 _"_ _You did all of this?" Drew asked before shaking Mr. Langum's hand. Rick smiled and nodded. "When did you have time?"_

 _"_ _I have been planning to do this for a while now so I made some calls and looked up some places. Did a little undercover intel."_

 _"_ _It's perfect. You're perfect." He handed the marriage license to Mr. Langum._

 _"_ _Everything seems to be in order," the older man said. "Mr. Lincoln said you would like the traditional vows?"_

 _Drew knew Rick wanted traditional just as much as he did. It was what felt right. "We do."_

 _"_ _Great! Let's get started then! Rings?" Each man pulled a ring from his pocket to the other's surprise and handed them to Mr. Langum. "Drew, please say your vows."_

 _He took Rick's hand into his. "I, Andrew Alister, take you, Richard Lincoln, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."_

 _"_ _You may place the ring on his finger." He handed Drew the ring and he slipped it on Rick's finger._

 _Rick looked at the ring. It was a wider band then the engagement ring that fit next to it perfectly. They were white gold bands with a light filigree inlay. It was masculine and beautiful just like their love for each other._

 _"_ _Rick," Mr. Langum intoned._

 _"_ _I, Richard Lincoln, take you, Andrew Alister, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."_

 _"_ _You may place the ring on his finger," he handed him the band._

 _He slipped the band on Drew's finger amazed by how similar they were. His band was also white gold but the thin filigree inlay was done in rose gold. "You may kiss the groom!"_

 _They shared a tender kiss in the last rays of sun on a beautiful fall day making their partnership legal though their hearts had bound them long ago."_

The testimony was finally over and it was a good thing. Rick had nearly come unhinged when Mr. Ross tried to blame Drew for everything. He said that Drew tried to seduce his father and then tried to pit his mother against him causing her undue stress and mental anguish that caused her to snap. Lynn had been quick to Object and put Mr. Ross in his place but the fact that someone could even suggest that it was his fault was enough to make Rick damn near homicidal. He had been through enough!

"Drew? Honey?" Rick was worried. Drew had been spaced out since his testimony but now it was like he was somewhere else completely. The testimony was over and the courtroom empty except Drew, Lynn, Rick and a bailiff. He was about to tell them to get a paramedic when he came around.

"Rick?"

"I'm here. Are you ok?"

"I.. I think."

"Let's get you to the hospital," he helped pull him to his feet.

"No, I want to go home, please."

The pleading almost childlike tone broke his heart. "Ok then let's get you home."


	18. Chapter 18

Drew was on auto pilot as he let Rick guide him in the house. He allowed himself to be led into the bathroom and complied when he was pushed to sit on the counter.

Rick turned the water on and started filling the tub while he carefully undressed his husband then himself taking care to keep both sets of dress blues pristine. He moved Drew to the tub and helped lower him in before slipping in behind him he pulled him back against his chest and kissed his temple. "Relax baby, I've got you." Picking up a cloth and soap he washed Drew's chest and arms then sit him up so that he could wash his back then rinsed him off. He smiled when drew pressed back against him pressing his face against his neck.

He caressed and touched his body until his muscles started to relax and the tension was melting from his shoulders. He moved his hands to Drew's chest tracing the muscles down his chest and stomach delving below the water and taking his soft member in his hand causing him to gasp and burry his face more. With the other hand he reached up and cupped his Drew's face stroking his jaw with his thumb cradling him to his chest.

Drew let the sensations wash over him trying to block out the day. Rick's soft touches and gentle care relaxed him enough to slowly come back to himself and he pressed harder against the warm body behind him. He felt Rick's hand moving down his body and cupping him and he couldn't help but buck up against his hand. His body wasn't excited but he needed to feel owned to feel Rick inside him and he needed it now. He could feel Rick hard and pressed against him so he reached back lifted himself enough to slam down on him as hard as he could.

Things happened so fast Rick barely had time to react. He tried to stop Drew from slamming down unprepared but he didn't fully succeed and he could feel Drew's to tight muscles forced open and he heard his pained cry as he bottomed out. "Damn it Drew!" He was back in self-punishment mode feeling the need to hurt himself because of what happened that day. He went back to that place where he went as a kid where he felt like if he was hurt everyone else would be fine. It took all Rick had not to slam back into him he was so tight around him but he stilled to give the already abused muscles time to adjust. Drew didn't like the idea of waiting and tried to take charge but Rick wrapped his legs tight around him so he couldn't move. Drew struggled in the hold, water splashing over the tub and sloshing out in the floor. "Stop fighting me Drew! You belong to me and I am in control of this. I'm not going to let you hurt yourself!"

He fought for control not because he didn't trust Rick but because he wanted to make his body hurt as much as his heart did. The things Mr. Ross said the way he twisted everything just played to Drew's weaknesses. He'd always blamed himself though he was innocent and hearing it said in open court tore at him. He'd gotten spoiled to his friends being a barrier for him constantly reassuring him it wasn't his fault but today he got thrown to the wolves. He never wanted to think of his self as a victim but in this case he was so why had he been treated like the criminal? He was drawn back to the present when he felt Rick's hand between them rubbing some soap against him for lube.

Rick wasn't going to let him injure himself so he fixed the problem by lifting Drew off of him and rubbing some soap over himself. Drew mewled and whimpered in protest but was so tired he didn't put up much of a fight. He hefted himself out of the tub and sat down on the edge before helping Drew stand and straddle him. He left Drew sink back down on him now that he was more stretched and allowed him to set the pace.

Drew clung to him setting a brutal pace slamming down as fast and as hard as he could relishing the burn and sharp stab as he slammed his own prostate on Rick's hard cock at a bruising rate. It didn't take long for both of them to cum hard and fast. Drew collapsed against Rick whimpering when he pulled out of him. He barely registered that Rick took the wash cloth and cleaned them both up before standing and taking a soft towel and drying him. He let out an indignant squeak and lunged forward as he was pressed down over the counter and had two fingers pressed inside him. "NO!"

Rick had had enough and swatted the upturned backside four times hard with his free hand. "Enough Drew! You chose to do this rough and dry and try to hurt yourself and I will NOT let you go without checking to see if you succeeded! Now you can stop fighting me and let me do this or I can make it where you won't set for a week THEN I'll check you!"

He stopped struggling instantly and tried to relax his body knowing Rick was right. He was very sore, more then he wanted to admit. He whimpered and squirmed as his fingers probed around the tight ring of muscle, "Ow."

Rick pulled his fingers free and cleaned his hand watching as Drew stayed bent over and compliant. He stroked his back a few times before swatting him several more times. He stood him up, "you will not do that again understand? You could have torn yourself badly Drew and I won't be a part of hurting you." He kissed his trembling lips and hugged him before helping him into some sweats and putting some on himself. They spent the rest of the late afternoon laying on the sofa, Drew laying with his torso over Rick's lap and Rick's hand on his sore bottom.

It had been a long night already and he'd only been at work for an hour. Rick wasn't happy that he came in tonight but he had to do something to keep his mind occupied. "Drew!" Ragosa yelled. He ran into trauma two to see what was going on. "I can't intubate. I tried but his throat is so swollen I can't get past it."

Drew stepped up and took the Laryngoscope looking through it to see what was going on. "He's in anaphylactic shock we are going to have to do a tracheotomy. Scalpel," he made a small incision just below the voice box. Being careful to avoid the vocal cords he carefully slipped the tube thorough the throat and into the airway. "Got it! Bag!" He attached the Ambu Bag and squeezed every few seconds until his stats started improving. "What meds have you given him so far?"

"Benadryl, and 1 of Epi then his stats bottomed out."

"Ok push three more of Epi, Solu-medrol, Vistaril and prednisone. Get a blood panel and check for an allergy history with his family." He walked out of the room and back to the nurse's station for his next chart.

"You look like hell," TC said taking the chart out of his hand. "Why don't you go lay down for a while. We have it covered and if it gets crazy we will wake you."

"No," he took the chart back.

"Yes," he took the chart away again.

"No," taking the chart back.

"Yes."

Topher took the chart and stepped between them. "Am I going to have to put you two in time out?"

"No," Drew said taking the chart back. "I just want to do my job ok?"

He went into the next exam room where a sixteen year old girl was waiting. "Hi I'm Dr. Alister. What seems to be the problem tonight Miss Oliver?"

"I feel really stupid for even coming here but my back has been hurting really bad all day and I got really dizzy and light headed."

"That's not stupid at all it sounds like a really good reason to come to the ER. Where is your back pain?"

"Right here," she touched the left side of her back.

"Is the pain sharp? Stabbing?"

"Constant and getting worse. It started out feeling like someone punched me then it kept getting worse."

He touched her flank and she hissed. "Ok Molly help Miss Oliver change into a gown let's get a urine sample, blood panel and get a CT on the left kidney. Give her five of Demerol and ten of Zofran to help with the pain."

"Yes Sir," she snarked and the girl looked at her shocked.

He turned back to the young girl, "as soon as you are back I will come check on you. Can I see you for a moment Molly?"

He stepped out into the hall and waited for her. She came out with her arms crossed over her chest looking defiant. "I would appreciate it if you could drop the attitude around my patients," he told her.

"I'd appreciate some respect myself doctor. You are the one who started this war with the nurses so don't act shocked that you're getting grief," she huffed and went back to the patient.

It was going to be a long night he sighed.


	19. Chapter 19

"These just came for you," Kenny handed Drew Miss Oliver's test results.

"Is she back in her room yet?"

"Let me check," Kenny tapped a few keys on the computer. "Hum no it says she's still waiting to be brought back up. Jane was supposed to get her."

Drew frowned, "How long has she been waiting to be brought up?"

He cringed, "looks like about forty-five minutes. I'll look into what happened but I will run and get her first."

"I'll go myself but you need to reign the nurses in. If they don't want to be here send them home and call in more. The ER can't run like this."

Drew went down to CT and found his patient on the gurney waiting in the hallway crying in pain. "Let's get you back upstairs and get you something else for pain and go over your test results ok Miss. Oliver?"

"Please call me Lacy. Why did I have to wait down here so long? I need to go to the restroom and I can't get out of this bed and I have been freaking out and no one came to check on me or anything."

"I'm so sorry you had to wait Lacy I will look into what happened." He was not happy as he took her up stairs. As soon as the exited the elevator upstairs he saw Krista. "I need your help."

"Sure," she followed them into exam two.

"Lacy this is Dr. Bell-Hart she's going to assist you in going to the restroom."

"Thank you."

"Sure no problem." She shot Drew a questioning look knowing that it was a nurse's job but she could read the irritation on his face so didn't push. She helped Lacy out of bed and to the restroom while Drew stepped out and started gathering supplies and medications.

Kenny saw Drew gathering stuff and went over to help. "Hey that's my job man let me."

"No, I got it."

"Man it's not my fault that the nurses are acting out. I didn't do anything so don't blame me."

"I don't blame you but it doesn't mean I'm not pissed Kenny. A sixteen year old girl sat in a hallway in excruciating pain alone and needing to use the restroom because your nurses have a problem with me firing one of them and treating them the way they deserve to be treated! They are punishing patients to get back at me and that will not happen!" He grabbed the rest of the stuff he needed. He stopped by the waiting room, "Oliver Family?"

"Yes?" A man and woman stood. "We are Lacy's parents. Is she ok? Can we see her?"

He smiled, "Yes follow me and I will take you too her."

"Oh thank you," her mother said as went back to the exam room.

Krista was pulling the sheet up over Lacy when he returned. "Can I see you a second?"

"Sure."

They stepped out of ear shot of the others as they went to their daughter. "She's urinating a lot of blood."

"I know," he nodded. "Do you have a patient right now?"

"No."

"Can you stick with me and assist for a bit?"

"Sure I'd be glad to."

"Thanks." He went over to Lacy. "Ok we got your test results back and the reason you are in so much pain is you have a kidney stone."

"At her age?" her father asked.

"Yes it's not unheard of but a urologist will want to run some tests to see why she's got them and what type of stones they are. For now I am going to give you something more for pain and we are going to wait a little while to see if you pass the stone. If not you might have to have a procedure called lithotripsy to help break it up."

"Lithotripsy? That sounds scary," Lacy said.

"No, it's basically sound waves that are targeted to one area, where the stone is, and it breaks it up into tiny pieces."

"That doesn't sound so bad," she smiled.

"We will take good care of you," he nodded and he and Krista went to work setting up meds and making her comfortable. "Ok here is your call button. If you need anything I will be right here ok?"

"Thanks," she said sleepily the medication taking affect.

Drew went to his office, plopped down in his chair and yelp jumping back up. He'd forgotten about earlier in with Rick and how sore he'd made himself. It just made him madder and he kicked his desk before folding his leg under himself and sat down so his bottom didn't touch the chair then leaned over and banged his head on his desk. That's how Topher found him.

He walked into Drew's office and saw him banging his head on the desk. "Um, should I leave you two alone or do you have a sec?"

"Mummph," was the muffled reply as his head smashed down on the desk one last time.

"Rough night?"

"Rough life," he sighed rubbing his sore head. "What can I do for you?"

"Everything ok with Rick?"

"Yeah never been better in that area thank God. Work on the other hand is not so great. Are the other doctors getting treated this way or just me?"

"They have been off for a few weeks not wanting to so as they are asked and saying things aren't their job but you seem to be getting the brunt of it for some reason."

"Well at least the other patients aren't getting neglected."

"Neglected?" Topher didn't like the sound of that. Drew told him what happened with Lacy. "I will take care of it. That goes beyond you and falls into my territory."

"Thanks."

"No problem. If there is ever anything I can help with my door is always open."

"Speaking of, you knocked on mine. What did you need?"

"Janet and I wanted to invite you and Rick over for dinner this weekend. Lynn hasn't met Rick yet and she misses you. Besides, you haven't seen the twins since they were born."

"I'd like that," he smiled. He needed some stability in the craziness.

"Good is Sunday ok?"

"Yeah Rick and I both have Sunday off so it sounds perfect."

TC knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "We're up Drew. Elevator collapsed and dropped 5 floors. Occupied three times paramedics on scene said there were broken bones and major spine injuries."

Drew got up and ran with TC to the chopper.


	20. Chapter 20

The scene was chaotic when they arrived with firemen putting out small fires caused by the crash, police trying to secure the scene and several panicked and terrified people trying to flee the building. "What happened?" TC asked the officer in charge.

"The brake failed and the elevator car crashed down 5 floors. It's stuck between the 21st and 22nd floors. The emergency cable is holding for now but the car has turned in the compartment just enough that it's wedged the door shut. The only access is through the elevator shaft into the emergency hatch. You're going to have to go up a few floors above it because the gears are blocking entry."

"We gotta climb 25 freggin flights of stairs with all this gear?" one of the paramedics asked.

Drew and TC laughed and grabbed a rescue basket before running for the stairs. They ran the first ten flights and Drew laughed when TC had to stop and catch his breath. "What's wrong old man? Can't take it anymore?"

"Shut it!" he panted. By the fifteenth flight it was Drew's turn to stop and pant.

"Who's the old man now?" TC gasped as he passed him.

"How many fuckin more stairs are there?" Drew groaned.

"Only ten more flights," TC said as he sat down on the landing to catch his breath.

"I'm going to throw up," Drew leaned over the rail. TC laughed.

They finally made it to the twenty-fifth floor and found the elevator doors. It took both of them but they were able to force them open and wedge something against them to keep them open. The cables were shaking with the stress of holding the elevator at such an odd angle and the emergency brake was squealing trying to hold the weight. "This isn't going to hold T. We can't wait for the fire department with the gear."

He knew Drew was right and he was going to lower himself down but before he could Drew flipped himself around and started lowering himself down. "Damn it kid!"

Drew scaled his way down the wall having to lever himself back and forth between the cable and the wall until he finally reached the top of the elevator. When he put his weight on it the whole thing shifted and creaked causing the people inside to scream. He opened the hatch and looked inside.

"Help us! Please!" a lady with a head injury cried.

"We are here to help just stay calm and try not to move around ok?" He looked up, "Lower the basket T." He lowered the basket to him and he lowered it into the elevator before dropping inside as easy as he could. The elevator still groaned and slipped down a little in protest causing everyone to scream again.

He assessed the situation taking in the injuries. One woman had a pretty bad scalp laceration, another had an obviously broken leg and a man was down on the floor and wasn't moving. He went to him first. "Sir Can you hear me?"

"Yes. I can't move. My back is killing me," he said panicked.

"My name is Drew and I'm a doctor. Stay calm and we will get you out of here." He reached up and grabbed the edge of the hatch and pulled himself up. "I need a kit and a collar T," he called up.

"I'll bring them down!"

"NO! This thing is unstable. Any more weight and I'm afraid it will give! Just toss it down!"

TC laid down on his stomach and dropped the collar. Once he saw Drew catch it he dropped the heavy kit. "Keep talking to me kid!"

He lowered himself back in to the car and got to work. "What's your name?"

"Sam."

"How old are you same?"

"Twenty-eight."

He put the C collar on him and worked the pelvic support cast under him. "Can you move your feet for me?" He tried but nothing moved. "Ok just relax Sam."

"Mallory."

"How old are you Mallory?"

"Forty-six," she was crying.

He placed some gauze pads on her head and put a pressure wrap around it to stop the bleeding. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I..I don't think so."

"Ok you hang tight." He went to the woman with the broken leg. "What's your name?"

"Brenda and I'm thirty-two. My leg hurts really bad."

"I know it does and I'm going to make it easier but it's going to hurt when I move it ok? I'm going to count to three and then lift ok? One, two," and he lifted and twisted her leg back in place. She screamed and cried as he wrapped it. "Are you allergic to anything?"

"Nooo!" He gave her a shot of morphine to ease her pain.

He climbed back up to the top of the elevator car. "T we got to find a way to get the basket down here and back up."

"Fire fighters are here! We are ready to lower it when you are."

"Send it down!" Once he got the basket lowered inside her jumped back in and carefully loaded Sam. He strapped him in tightly. "Ok Sam this is going to feel awkward but they are going to lift you out of here. You're going to go up vertically through the hatch then we will lay you down."

"K."

"OK T! First up is Sam, twenty-eight year old male with possible spine injury! Ready to go up!" They started pulling the basket and Drew help guide it through the hatch leveraging himself up with one hand so that he could control the horizontal drop when it reached the top.

They got Sam to the top and got him on to a stretcher then lowered the basket. They went through the same procedure with each patient until they were all safe and on gurneys ready to go to ambulances. "Your turn kid!" T called down.

Drew tossed the med kit out of the hatch and on top of the car before hoisting himself up. He got to his feet and reached for the rope to tie the kit too when the elevator break slipped and the car started to fall. He lost his balance and fell back through the hatch hitting the floor hard.

"DREW!" TC screamed as the car slid. It came to a shaky halt about two floors lower then it started.

"Fuck!"

"Are you hurt?"

"No!" He had hit his head falling through the hatch but landed on his sore ass which added insult to injury. He felt like it jammed his spine up into his neck though. "I'm comin up!" He got to his feet and hefted himself up one more time and tired the pack to the rope so they could pull it up then climbed up the side of the elevator shaft. By the time he reached the top he was exhausted and just laid down in the floor.

T stood over him and shook his head before offering a congratulatory fist bump and helping him to his feet.

They arrived back at the hospital, T had wrapped Drew's head on the chopper. Topher took the broken leg. TC took the head wound and Scott came down for Sam and took him straight to surgery. Krista and Ragosa took Drew into an exam room and cleaned the head wound. They had to put about five stitches in to close it. "You need to put some ice on it, it's going to swell and bruise," Krista told him.

"I will I need to check on Lacy first." He stood and went to her room Krista followed. "How are you feeling now Lacy?"

"Oh my gosh what happened to your head?" she asked.

He smiled, "I bumped it. You can't tell anyone though," he whispered. "No one wants a klutz for a doctor!" he joked and made her laugh.

"The pain is still there but it's like its moving?"

He nodded, "that's a good thing! That means the stone is moving out. We will keep monitoring you and make sure it doesn't stick in the ureter. I will go ahead and admit you overnight."

"Thank you Dr. Alister." He nodded and left the room.

By the time he finished his paperwork it was time to clock out. He took a quick shower to wash the hospital smell off of him and headed home.

Rick looked up from his laptop where he was reading the news at the kitchen table when Drew came in. "Hey babe," he saw his head bruised and stitched, "What happened?!"

"I'm fine," he held up his hand to stop him. "I just hit my head is all." He got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table quickly adjusting his position to accommodate his sore behind. He swore it was bruised after the fall. He looked up and noticed Rick was just looking at him waiting for an explanation. "Elevator in a high-rise fell five floors when the break failed. T and I went on the rescue and got them all out."

"And?"

He sighed, "I was climbing out of the elevator and it slipped down a couple more floors. I lost my balance and fell. I wacked my head and landed on my ass for added insult."

"What's hurt?"

"Umm my head and my ass?"

Rick wanted to laugh because Drew was pouting so badly but he didn't. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?" he teased.

"My head or my.." Rick hit him with a magazine before he could finish his question. "Ow!" he laughed.

"Go stretch out on the sofa."

He didn't argue his whole body was aching. He sat down on the sofa with his leg tucked under him and Jake jumped up and laid by him. A few minutes later Rick brought him an omelet, toast, juice and an ice pack and sat down beside him. He accepted it gratefully. "You're too good to me."

"Here," he handed him some pain pills.

He ate his breakfast then curled up with his head in Rick's lap and Jake next to him and fell asleep. Rick pulled a blanket over him and put the icepack on the bruised knot on his head.


	21. Chapter 21

Rick walked in to the den to wake Drew and started laughing. Drew was laying on his stomach and Jake was laying on the pillow beside his head with his little paws and head draped over Drew's face like he was protecting him. Rick reached out and petted him giving him a good scratch behind the ears. "You're a good boy Jake. Can you wake Drew up for me?"

Jake turned his little head to the side and perked his ears up.

"Wake him up! Come on boy you can do it!"

The more he spoke the more excited Jack got and he finally started growling and ruffing which caused Drew to rouse enough to turn over flipping Jace off his head and onto his back wedged between Drew and the sofa with all four paws stuck in the air. He took out his phone and snapped a picture then sat down beside him and rubbed his chest. "Babe? Hey?"

"Hum?" He stretched and Jake gave him and upside down lick in the ear. "Hey, no ear licking mutt," his voice was still sleep muffled as he picked Jake up and put him on his chest.

"Afternoon," Rick smiled and kissed his head. "How do you feel?"

"Massive headache and I'm sore as hell but I'll live."

"We have to be at the Center in a couple hours for some appointments. You going to make it?"

"Yes," he sat up letting Jake slip to his lap and he hugged Rick. "Want to stay right here," he said into his shoulder then kissed his neck. "But work calls," he sighed putting Jake down and heading to the shower. The hot water felt good to his sore body. Falling from the top of an elevator not on his to do again list any time soon. He got dressed tossed back a few Tylenol and they left for the Center.

When they arrived the office was buzzing with people. "Hello Mr. Alister, Mr. Lincoln," the receptionist Sandy smiled. She handed each of them some messages, "Mr. Alister there is someone here to see you he's in your office. It's a Ms. Biggs."

They looked at each other and headed to his office. She was sitting in a chair waiting for them. "Ms. Biggs? Is there a verdict? I thought there was still another week of questioning?"

"Your mother's trial isn't over but I have some news about your father and Colonel Jefferies (AKA Colonel Affliction).

Rick and Drew sat down. "What kind of news?" Rick asked putting a supportive arm around Drew.

"Your father has pled guilty to all charges and agreed to testify against your mother and Colonel Jefferies."

"Why would he do that?" Drew asked.

"He said he knew his life was over now and he just wanted to get it over with. You have enough proof to put him away for life and he didn't see the point in trying to fight it. "

The news was great. It meant one less time Drew would have to go through the hell of a trial questing again. "So what does that mean?"

"It means the judge sentenced him to the maximum of the law for the crimes he committed against you. He got 30 years and an additional 40 for crimes committed against the other victims. All to be served consecutively and without the possibility of parole." With his father's age it was the same as a life sentence.

"How did Candy and Cara take it?" he was worried.

"Candy was really happy. Cara was upset and angry," Ms. Biggs explained.

He knew Cara would be upset and there would be ramifications but he was so relieved right now he didn't care. He put his head in his hands and laughed. "He's in jail right now?"

"Yes."

"He can't touch me again?"

"No," Rick pulled him against his chest and held him. "You are finally safe."

"There is news on Colonel Jefferies as well. I'm afraid there will be no trial for him," Ms. Biggs explained.

"What?" Rick asked.

"Why?" Drew was stunned. "He was as bad as my father!"

She held up her hand to calm him. "The Colonel was killed today while awaiting trial in prison. Sex offenders are major targets in prison and with the heinous things he'd done even though we kept him in solitary he had to shower and transfer place to place. Someone made a shank and stabbed him multiple times. He bled out before the paramedics could arrive."

He fell back against the chair, he couldn't catch his breath. Was it really happening? Were the monsters really gone? He felt Rick's arms around him and he finally was able to breath. Now all they had to do was make sure his mother paid. They took a while to soak in their victories before their meetings.

They were sitting at the large table when someone knocked. "Enter," Rick said.

"Hi. I'm looking for Dr. Alister?"

"Come on in Zach," Drew smiled. "Have a seat buddy. Good to see you again Mr. Franks," Drew said as he shook their hands. "How's the arm?"

"Great, everyone loves the cast! It was so cool that you took the time to do the cool design."

"Glad to do it. Zach this is my husband Rick he helps run everything here."

"Hi Rick," he shook his hand. "Are you a doctor like Dr. Alister?"

"No I work with your dad at the SWATT School."

"You know my dad?"

Mr. Franks laughed, "That's why I took you to Drew when you broke your arm. I knew he was a good doctor because I had met him through Rick."

"Do you know why we asked you here Zach?" Drew asked.

"No Sir."

"I got your letter about wanting to volunteer with me and I have given it some serious thought. How about we start you out here at the Center and if things go ok then we will try maybe getting you a volunteer position at the hospital. That will be a little tricky with your age but we will work on getting it approved. If you and your dad are ok with it then I will put you to work today for a while."

"Sounds great to me," Mr. Franks approved.

"Really?" Zach beamed!

"Rick or I one can drop him off at home before I go to work at the hospital so you won't have to get back out Mr. Franks." They said their goodbyes and when Mr. Franks left they got to work. Drew taught Zach how to file, answer phones and took him with them when they went to see some of the soldiers who came in for therapy. He was really good with the soldiers and Drew thought he might have found the perfect thing for him to do.


	22. Chapter 22

Rick came in from work knowing it was Drew's night off and expected to find him catching up on some sleep instead he heard music coming from the kitchen. He went to investigate and saw Drew finishing making a salad and covering it. There were burgers patted out on a tray covered and seasonings out. Jake was watching wide eyed, tail wagging hoping Drew would drop something. "Want a carrot buddy?" Jake turned his little head and barked. "Dance for it." Jake jumped up on his hind legs and spun in a circle. "Good boy!" he tossed him a baby carrot. He saw Rick standing in the kitchen doorway. "Hey how long have you been there?"

"Just long enough," he smiled as he went to kiss him. "What's all of this? I thought you'd be resting."

"Couldn't sleep and I wanted to fix you dinner. It's pretty outside so I thought maybe we could grill some burgers."

"Sounds perfect. What can I do to help?"

"You can light the grill if you want."

"Sure, come on Jake," he slid the patio door open and stepped out on the deck. Drew already had everything sit up and ready to go so all he had to do was light the charcoal. Jake loped around on the deck liking the sound his feet made against the wood then getting distracted by a grasshopper and pawing at it. The grasshopper jumped and Jake barked bouncing after it. He shook his head and laughed as he lit the charcoal.

Drew came out with a couple of cold beers handing one to Rick. "What is he doing?" he laughed looking at Jake lope around with his tongue hanging out.

"He's your dog. I think he's mental," he laughed.

"Hey!" he tried to act indignant. Hey both sat down in the lounge chairs under the umbrella in the shade.

Rick pulled Drew's legs into his lap, "Still sore today?"

"Not as bad as yesterday. I think I shrunk my spine three inches when I landed. Everything just sort of crunched together. You should have seen me. I was so graceful," he teased. "Did a good impersonation of a ballerina then fell through a hole and landed right on my ass. That's talent."

"That's a miracle you didn't break your back," he cringed.

"How was work today?"

"Good," he nodded. "We were doing some target practice today and I used the old sniper training trick and let them play poker by shooting cards. They really got into it and got better at shooting."

"Its great team building stuff."

"Yeah it is and they are great guys, most of them. I'd like to throw Grayson off a cliff but," he laughed.

They sat in silence watching Jake for a bit. "So I had a doctor's appointment today with the nephrologist to see how my kidney was doing."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have went with you."

"I know you would have but you've taken so much time off work to be with me now that I feel bad. It was just a checkup."

"What did she say?"

He chewed his lip, a nervous habit he had. "Well she said that everything was going to be ok and I could function normally and have a normal life but the right kidney is permanently damaged." He shrugged, "people live with just one kidney so I will be fine but I will no longer be able to serve in active military war status. I can't be deployed again but they can choose to keep me active non duty and be an army doctor working with the VA and other military outposts that are not hot zones. I have to wait for them to make that call."

He took his hand. "I'm so sorry Drew."

"I'm not. I mean I am sorry my kidney is messed up but in the grand scheme of things there are much more important things in my life right now. I have a husband who loves me and I love more than anything. I have a job I love and we have the Center. My life couldn't be more fulfilled and if they let me keep being an army doctor then I can finish my residency then it will be perfect. If not?" He didn't even want to think about that. He stood and went inside to get the burgers. Rick followed.

"Hey," he grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Look at me Drew."

"I'm fine really," he tried to move past him but Rick wouldn't let him. He didn't want to break down again. He was tired of being needy and crying, it seemed like that's all he ever did and he hated it but these were his dreams shattering.

"It will be ok, I know it will but you don't have to hide from me. We are in this together ok? Just like you told me when I lost my leg." He nodded and let himself be pulled into a hug. "I love you. The Army needs you they won't discharge you."

He nodded, it was all he could manage and turned to get the burgers out of the fridge when the doorbell rang. Rick kissed him, "I'll get it."

"Thanks," he took the burgers out and put them on the grill.

Rick opened the door and Cara was standing there. "Hi."

"I need to see Drew."

"Why?"

"He's my brother that's why."

"He's not feeling great and I'd appreciate it if you didn't stress him out right now."

"Yeah I will worry about his stress Rick," she snapped. "What about my stress? Can I see him or not?"

He was about to say no when Drew came in. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Trying to talk to you," she shot Rick a look.

Drew stopped him, "would you keep an eye on dinner? Please?"

He looked at Cara again in warning and she rolled her eyes. "For fuck sakes what am I going to do assault him" she made air quotes.

Rick was about to snap and Drew pushed him toward the kitchen. "Go, please its fine." He cringed when the back door slammed. He motioned for Cara to sit. "So what can I do for you?"

"Guess you heard about dad?"

He nodded, "Yeah Ms. Biggs told us yesterday."

"And Jefferies? He was murdered." He nodded at her not sure what to say. "I want you to go to the judge and speak to him on dad's behalf Drew."

"What?"

"Ask the judge to resend his sentence and give him parole."

"How can you ask me to do that after everything that happened?"

"He will die just like Jefferies did probably faster because of you! They hate pedophiles and that's what you had him charged with!" He just stared at her unbelievingly. "Fine Drew! It always was about you wasn't it! Let him get murdered it's what you always wanted! I hope you're happy! You killed our father!" She stormed out leaving him sitting in shock.


	23. Chapter 23

Drew read the chart of his next patient: fifty-four year old male named Mr. Howe. "Hello I'm Dr. Alister what seems to be the problem today?"

"Sore throat, headache, stuffy nose."

"Ok open," he checked his throat then his ears before tapping on his face around his eyes. "Looks like you have a sinus infection." He took out his prescription pad and started writing, "Augmentin twice a day for ten days and you should be good as new."

"Thank you."

Drew took the chart back to the nurse's station hoping all the cases would be that simple tonight. He picked up the next chart: twenty-one year old female possible overdose. He steps into the exam room where Kenny is waiting to assist. "Tube and laryngoscope." Kenny handed him both items and held her head still as he put the tube in place. "In, charcoal." He poured the charcoal mixture into her stomach then removed the tube and within moments she was vomiting up the drugs she'd taken. They quickly flipped her on her side so she wouldn't choke. "I want a full trauma panel on her now and again in an hour. We need to monitor all of her vitals to be sure we got the drugs before they were absorbed in her system."

He dropped the chart off and picked up another trying to stay busy enough to keep his sister's visit out of his head. How was he supposed to feel about being told he was murdering his father? Should he talk to the judge and see if there is something he could do to help? Was it wrong to be happy they were being punished? Still it was his father and as evil as he was he didn't want him to die. His phone rang breaking him out of his thoughts. "Hello?"

"How are you doing?" Rick asked. He was worried about Drew's state of mind right now after his sister's visit.

"I don't know to be honest." He stepped into the doctor's lounge and sat down. "I hate this. I wish I'd never told anyone about what happened."

"Stop. If you hadn't told then it would still be happening Drew. You're not the problem here."

"Then who is?"

"Your bastard parents and stupid ass sister?" he growled.

"So my whole family is wrong and I'm right? Kind of against the odds isn't it?"

"No. Drew you didn't do anything wrong babe. They were hurting you and you stood up for yourself. That is not wrong. I'm not going to let you punish yourself for that I don't care what anyone says."

"You love me so you're biased," he told him.

"Damn right I am but I'm also right," he smiled.

"I got to go babe we are kind of backed up tonight."

"A lot of traumas?"

"No. So far just simple cold and flu stuff. I hope it stays that way too."

Of course that wouldn't be the case. Two children had been brought in to the ER by ambulance. A four year old little boy who had suffered 3rd degree burns over 50% of his body after he pulled a deep fryer off a counter on to himself and his six year old sister whose hands and arms had 3rd degree burns also. TC, Jordan, Kenny and Topher were working on the boy and Drew, Krista, Molly and Ragosa on the girl.

The little girl was screaming in pain even after the paramedics had given her pain meds in route. "Let's get her some Versed and I need gauze soaked in sterile saline and betadine," he ordered as he started an IV in her foot.

"Hurts!" she cried.

"I know it does sweetheart but we are going to make it better real soon," he promised. "Did you get burned like your little brother?"

"Noooo," she cried. "Mommy did it!" Krista looked at him, stunned when the little girl said that. "Was bad! Didn't mean to be bad!"

"Shhhh," Drew soothed injecting the meds through her IV. Her small body relaxed and went to sleep almost instantly. "Gauze." Krista and Ragosa just stood speechless. "Gauze!"

Ragosa jarred out of his stupor and handed him the soaked gauze watching as Drew carefully cleansed the burnt skin away handing him fresh supplies when he needed them. "Do you think her mother really did that to her?"

"I don't doubt anything anymore," Drew sighed. "Child services will be here to investigate anyway because of them having 3rd degree burns."

Everyone ducked as a gunshot rang out. "What the hell?" Ragosa yelled looking around but before anyone could do anything, "Her o2 is dropping," Krista said.

Drew checked her airways again and they were fine. "Increase to 8 liters it's probably because of the medication we used to sedate her. If they continue to drop we will have to intubate so we can control her respirations until she's better."

Ragosa held the little girls arm up so Drew could get the backside of it. "Will she have nerve damage from this?"

"Probably and scaring I'm afraid. These burns are bad."

The exam room door burst open and a man ran inside with a gun and pointed it at them. "Save her! Do you hear me! Save my little girl!" He was agitated and distraught, shaking and moving from foot to foot. He had a woman in a choke hold dragging her with them.

"Sir we are doing everything we can," Drew tried to calm him. "You need to put the gun down so we can focus on her ok?"

"No!" he cocked the gun and pointed it at Drew. "My little boy just did because this bitch wasn't watching him!" He shoved the woman to the ground hard. "And she held my daughters hands over the stove because she dropped a glass of milk! She deserves to die!"

He didn't disagree with him. "I'm sorry that happened but the police will take care of her. Your daughter needs you. You can't care for her if you're in jail right?"

"If my little girl dies I have nothing to live for!" Alarms started going off on the monitors. "What is that? What's wrong?"

"Her stats are dropping!" Krista told Drew.

"We need to intubate," he moved to go to the head of the bed and the man shoved the gun at him again. "Look I have to put a tube into your daughter's chest so she can breathe or she will die!" The man backed off and he performed the procedure.

"They're rising," Ragosa sighed in relief.

Topher and Jordan put TC on the gurney putting pressure on the bullet wound in his side. The father had pulled the gun out of nowhere and tried to shoot the mother. TC shoved the mother out of the way and got shot for his efforts. "Lock down the ER! Get the police on the line and tell them what is going on and get all the patients to safety! Topher was barking. "Does anyone know where he went?"

"He went in the room with his daughter," one of the nurses said.

"We have to get T up to surgery now Toph!" Jordan told him. "He's losing a lot of blood!"

"Kenny, tell Scott they are on their way!"

"Done!"

Jordan rushed TC upstairs to surgery while Topher got on the phone with the police.

"Ok your daughter is stable but we have to move her up to the burn unit. She needs specialty care that we can't give her down here," Drew tried to explain.

"No! No one goes anywhere!" he shouted. "You!" he moved toward his girlfriend. "You killed our son!"

She reached around and grabbed a scalpel from a tray in front of Molly and slashed out at her boyfriend he raised the gun to fire at her as she jumped behind Molly. Drew jumped across the foot of the gurney and tackled Molly just as the shot rang out.

"Oh God!" Krista yelled and ran to Drew. She rolled him off of Molly and saw the blood pouring from his shoulder. She applied pressure to the wound as Ragosa ran over with gauze. In the chaos no one saw the woman jump up with the scalpel until it was too late. She slashed out and stabbed Krista in the thigh. Krista screamed and fell over Drew kicked out with his leg and knocked the weapon out of the woman's hand and Ragosa jumped on top of her pinning her to the ground. She kneed him in the groin and struggled to her feet only to be shot in the head by her boyfriend.


	24. Chapter 24

Drew pulled the scalpel out of Krista's leg and put pressure on the wound with his right hand. "Molly, Ragosa are you ok?"

"I..I think," Ragosa replied shakily.

"Molly?" Drew asked again looking over at her. She was backed against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest. "Molly! Damn it," he sighed. "Ragosa keep pressure on this." When he took over the wound Drew scooted over to Molly and shook her. "Molly I need you to focus." Still nothing so he lightly smacked her face. Her eyes snapped to him. "Are you with me?"

"Y..yes," she nodded.

He moved to get some gauze to stop Krista's leg from bleeding only to have a gun pointed in his face. "Stop moving around!" the gunman yelled.

"I need to." Drew started.

"NO!" The gunman hit him in the head twice with the gun and he fell to the floor.

"Drew!" Krista scooted to him and pulled him against her.

"Shut up all of you! I need to think!" He paced back and forth and was getting more worked up by the second. Ragosa knew he had to intervene.

"I can't imagine what you must be going through right now but we need to get your daughter to the burn ward soon or she's going to get an infection."

"No you can't let that happen! You have to stop it!"

"We can't we don't have the equipment we need down here and we don't have the sterile environment here. For her sake please let us take her upstairs."

"No! No one is leaving here!"

"He's right," Drew said finally coming too again. "At least let your daughter go, for her own health. You don't want to lose another child."

"Let me guess you have to take her? Or someone comes in to get her then shoots me? I'm not stupid man! Don't you treat me like I'm stupid!"

"He's not," Ragosa intervened. "I get that you don't want anyone coming into the room but what if one of us took her out? That means no one new comes in."

He thought about it for a second. "Who would take her?"

"Krista," Drew offered knowing she needed medical attention.

She started to protest but Molly beat her too it. "No I need to take her! I'm not hurt and I can push her with out help!"

"No, no one is leaving!" He went over to his daughter and kissed her head.

The SWAT team pulled up outside the hospital where Topher was waiting to talk to them. Officer Sanchez approached. "What can you tell us about the situation?"

"Both of his kids were brought in tonight with burns. The two year old little boy supposedly pulled a deep fryer off on himself and the four year old got burned in the oil as well. As we were examining the little boy the father came in with a gun accusing the mom of burning the kids on propose. She didn't deny it."

"Oh man," Sanchez shook his head.

"The little boy died from his injuries and the man lost it. He tried to shoot his girlfriend but one of our doctors jumped in front of her and got shot instead. He's in surgery now."

"Topher, was it Drew?" Rick said running up to them.

"No it was TC."

He let out a breath. "Where is Drew?"

"He was treating the little girl. That's where the gunman went after the boy died. He took his girlfriend at gunpoint and went into the trauma room with her."

"How many people are in there?" Sanchez asked.

"Drew, Ragosa, Krista, the gunman, his girlfriend and the little girl," Topher told him.

Rick moved to go into the hospital but Sanchez stopped him. "No. This is too personal for you Lincoln. Let us take care of this."

"That's my husband in there!"

"Exactly, your husband is in there and you're emotional and distraught like any loved one would be which means you aren't at your best! You will be too distracted to make the decisions that need to be made! Now stand down, please."

"Mr. Simms this is Officer Sanchez from the San Antonio Police Department," he said through the loudspeaker. "The phone is going to ring. We want you to pick up so we can talk about what's happening. "

Everyone jumped when the phone rang even though they had heard the officer from outside. The gunman stared at the phone then looked at Ragosa, "answer it!"

He stood and lifted the phone. "Hello."

"Mr. Simms?"

"This is Michael Ragosa."

"Michael is everyone there ok?"

"No. One person has been shot in the shoulder and another stabbed in the leg."

"Hang in there Michael we are going to get you out of there as soon as we can. I need you to ask Mr. Simms what he needs to make that happen."

"They want to know what it will take for you to come out peacefully," Ragosa relayed.

"I want my son back!" he screamed and took the phone out of his hand and slammed it down before pistol whipping him. "You," he pointed to Molly "rip that sheet up and tie them up! Hands behind their backs! Hurry!" She did as she was told starting with Ragosa then Krista and moving to Drew. She pulled his arms behind his back and he cried out in pain from his shoulder wound as she cinched the sheet bindings tight. "Now you take my little girl to the burn ward." She moved to the gurney and started pushing her out the door. "When you talk to the police tell them that I want a helicopter to take me to Mexico. I'll give them an hour and I start shooting hostages." She ran out the door.

"Please you have to let us help Drew," Krista pleaded. "He's losing a lot of blood."

"No! No one is doing anything!" Just then something fell from the celling outside of the door and the gunman fired at the doors and started screaming, "Stay out or I will start killing people! Do you hear me? Keep away!"

After several tense minuets Sanchez came back over the loud speaker. "I'm sorry Mr. Simms that won't happen again!"

He looked around and went to Drew and started punching and kicking him relentlessly then moved to Ragosa and did the same until they were both laying in beaten heaps on the ground and Krista was in tears. The phone was ringing and he grabbed it. "Every time you try something stupid one of them gets hurt again and next time I will shoot!"

"Please Mr. Simms just calm down. Tell us what we can do to help you."

"I want a chopper and safe passage to Mexico."

"Ok we will work on it but as a show of faith we need you to release a hostage."

"I did she took my daughter to the burn unit," he hung up the phone.

As soon as he turned around he was shot and hit the ground and the SWAT team rushed in and handcuffed him.


	25. Chapter 25

Rick twisted Drew's wedding band on the chain he was wearing around his neck. They were able to get it off his swollen hand before they did surgery to repair the fractured clavicle he'd suffered during the attack. T.C. was in an adjoining room having had surgery from his wounds as well. He suffered a ruptured spleen and the bullet had nicked his lung. Krista had some muscle and tendon damage but nothing major and Ragosa was beaten up pretty bad but did not have any major injuries though he looked like he'd gone 10 rounds with a prize fighter like Drew looked.

It had been two days and Drew had not opened his eyes once. Topher and Scott both said that it was his body's way of healing that it had to shut itself down for a while. He understood that but he wanted nothing more than to see those brown eyes looking at him. There was a knock at the door. "Enter."

"Hey," Krista smiled as she stepped inside. "How is he today?" She sat down some food she had brought for Rick and handed him a cup of coffee.

"The same," he sighed as he took the coffee and pulled her to sit in his lap. "You shouldn't be on your leg," he scolded.

"I know I'm just worried about both of you besides, I'm not on it now," she laughed.

He was grateful for the company it helped keep his mind occupied. "How is TC?"

"Restless," she laughed. "Jordan is threatening to strap him to the bed if he doesn't be still."

"That sounds familiar. Drew get so restless when he is sick or injured that sometimes I'm tempted to spank him and put him in time out like a three year old." They both laughed.

"I seem to remember you being the same way all stubborn and independent?"

"Me," he mock scoffed, "I would never be like that. I'm a great patient."

"Yeah right," she hit his shoulder. "Is that why you haven't ate anything in two days Mr. Lincoln?"

He blushed, "Um I just forgot?"

She pulled the tray over too them, "Now you remember so eat."

He picked up the burger she'd gotten him and took a bite. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She put a straw in his drink and handed it to him. "Who's taking care of Jake?"

"Marsden is staying at the house with him until we can get home."

"You know when I got into medicine I never realized how dangerous it was. I just thought about saving people. I guess it's like this for you guys as soldiers all the time though right?"

"It was when we were in Iraq," Rick nodded. "It was tough but we did what we had to. My teams were on the ground in battles. Drew was attached to a battle unit as well as a field medic so he fought and treated the wounded in the field until they could get extracted to a field hospital."

"I guess that's why he puts himself in the line of fire when people are at risk of getting hurt," she thought.

He took a deep breath, "He does it because that's what he's always done. He's always defended everyone and no one defended him. He took the abuse from his family so his sisters would be safe. He took the abuse in the military so others wouldn't have to endure what he did hell he even took the abuse on that night maneuvers mission so Cameron wouldn't be hurt. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't think his life is worth as much as anyone else's."

"I wish he would see how good he is and how much he's loved. I want to kick the crap out of the nurses for giving him so much grief. I wish I knew what was going on but no one will talk to me."

"You think that's bad? Did he tell you what his sister asked him the other day?" Rick asked.

"No. Cara or Candy?"

"Cara. She came by the house and asked to talk to him. I should have just put my foot down and threw her out but he came in and said it was ok so I let her talk to him." He shook his head still seething with anger. "She told him he needed to talk to the judge to get his father's sentence reduced."

"What?" she asked, exasperated.

"She told him because he was a pedophile that the other inmates would murder him and it would be Drew's fault because he put him there. If he didn't do something that it would be him who essentially murdered their father. When he didn't agree to talk to the judge she told him it was always about him and getting his way." He shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes, "he tried to hide it from me but he cried himself to sleep for three nights after that."

"Ok. That's it. I'm going to beat the shit out of her if I ever see her again. How could she do that to her own baby brother?" She stood up, walked to the bed and kissed him gently on the head.

He stood and wet a cloth before approaching the bed also and wiping Drew's swollen eye. It had been watering and draining a lot and he tried to keep it clean. "Thanks," came a raspy, tired voice.

"Drew?" Rick and Krista jumped in surprise. "Hey can you open your eyes for me?" Rick asked.

He forced his eyes open realizing one was swollen. "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Krista asked.

"Little girl with bad burns and her dad with a gun." He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain in his head. "Thirsty."

"Here," Rick poured some cold water and gave him a sip.

He gasped suddenly remembering, "Are you ok Krista?"

"I'm fine," she touched his arm. "Just some muscle and tendon damage and Ragosa is ok as well."

He relaxed a bit at the news, "good. I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

"You got shot, pistol whipped and beat up I assume you do," Rick explained. "They did surgery on your shoulder, the bullet fractured the clavicle but you were lucky that it didn't do any nerve damage to your arm."

"Did anyone else get hurt?"

"TC got shot before the gunman came to your trauma room. They did surgery but he's ok now," Rick explained.

"Jordan is threating to tie him to the bed," Krista smiled.

He laughed then coughed, "somehow I think he'd like that." They both laughed.

"I'm going to go get Topher and let him know you're awake," Krista ran her fingers through his hair before kissing his head. "I'll be right back."

When the door closed he looked over at Rick. "You look exhausted."

"Nah, just worried about you. I'm going to start coming to work with you and be an armed guard so I can keep you safe."

"I'm starting to think that fate doesn't want me safe. I feel like I'm always being punished for something."

"That's not true babe. You are a great person who tries to stop other people from getting hurt. If you didn't try to intervene then other people would get hurt not you." He held his hand up to stop his protest, "I know that you could never let anyone get hurt, it's not who you are."

Topher walked in, "Hey you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Fuzzy, sore."

He nodded, "Krista said they filled you in on the surgery and what happened. Are you hurting?"

He started to answer but looked at Rick pondering if he should say he was fine or be honest. "I'm," he stopped, "I don't want to go back to sleep right now."

"Are you in pain?" he asked again. Drew nodded. "Ok I will give you something that will not cause drowsiness but when the pain gets worse you have to promise me you will tell the nurse and she will give you the Demerol."

"He will," Rick answered for him giving him a warning look.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me? Lynn is wanting to visit so I will check back with you in the morning to see if you're up for a guest."

"Thanks Toph."


	26. Chapter 26

Warning: Sex, toys, hospitals um yeah.. be warned.

Rick put the cover back on Drew for the twentieth time in the past hour. He was restless and the medicine made him feel fevered and irritable and worse he was being intentionally bratty pushing Rick to his limits. He knew Drew was in a bad head space because of what his sister was putting him through, the trial with his mother and the horrible testimony that he had to endure plus the physical injury he just suffered. It was really getting to him and Rick knew just what he needed.

He closed the door and yanked the sheet off of him. Drew gasped and his eyes got wide as Rick approached him. He untied the hospital gown and pulled it away leaving Drew naked and trying to cover himself with his hands. "What are you doing?"

"Hush and put your hands at your sides now."

"But what if someone comes in?" he shivered feeling completely exposed.

He walked to the bed, gripped Drew's wrist tightly in his hand and moved it to his side looking into his eyes the entire time. "Who do you belong to?"

"You," so soft and unsure sounding that it made Rick's heart ache.

He ran his hand from his lower abdomen, over his torso up to his face and cupped his cheek. "Who does your body belong to?"

His body was so tense all his muscles were flexed. "You but,"

"No. No buts. It belongs to me. It's mine to touch, to care for, to play with, to pleasure, to punish, to expose and to do with as I please. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Keep your hands at your side and close your eyes." He watched his eyes close even though all the muscles in his body were twitching and he kissed him before stepping back and fixing some hot water. Wetting a cloth in the hot water he wiped Drew's face, down his neck, over his chest then each arm. Moving back to his chest he took extra care to stroke and massage the muscles there then moved lower to his abs. Drew's muscles started to relax and Rick laughed at the little whimper Drew let out as he passed over his groin to wash his legs taking extra time touching the inside of his thighs. He kissed each thigh drawing a gasp from him as he grew hard.

Being careful of his injured shoulder he turned him so that he was laying on his stomach and washed his back working the knots out of the over tense muscles. Moving lower still he massaged the swell of his ass working the flesh in his hands getting the tense muscles to relax. He reached into his bag by the bed and got some lotion out putting a little on his hand then pressed a finger against that tight ring of muscle. He was able to work the tip of his finger in but Drew was still clinched and unwilling to give control over to him.

"Ok on your back," he slipped his finger free and helped him turn. Going back to his bag he pulled out Drew's belt then took off his own.

"W..what are you going to do?" he asked nervously. He was afraid they would be caught already but if Rick was going to spank him he was sure people would hear and he didn't know if he could take that.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," without hesitation.

"Then relax," he smiled as he lifted one of Drew's legs using the belt to fasten it to the rail on the bed then doing the same on the other side pinning his legs back and open wide. He sat down on the bed and ran his hand over the spread thighs cupping the soft sacks and rolling them in his hand. Drew's head fell back and he bit his lip. "Beautiful," he purred drawing a moan out of Drew. Putting more lotion on his hands he pressed a finger at his opening again and pressed forward until his finger was all the way in.

Drew was panting from the sensation and the sting, his hard shaft bouncing against his abs as he clinched tight around the finger buried inside him. He took deep breaths as Rick worked him open adding first one finger then another until he had three fingers buried deep. "Rick!" he gasped and moaned when he curled his fingers rubbing against his prostate causing him to see stars.

"That's it baby just let go and give it to me." He had his body, it was reacting perfectly but he was still lost in his own head. He worked his fingers in and out curling each time rubbing his prostate until Drew is working his hips on his hand searching for it. Rick pulled back denying him the pressure he was searching for. He whimpered and whined so close but unable to get what he needed. "Look at me Drew." Brown eyes found his and he saw need and desperation but most of all he saw submission. Drew let go and let Rick have his body allowing him control over his pleasure or denial of pleasure. "Good boy that's it," he smiled working his fingers in just the right spot as he stroked him with his other hand. It only took a few minutes before he wracked with waves of pleasure cumming hard in white ribbons over his stomach and chest finally whimpering as he became over sensitive to Rick's fingers pressing on the bundle of nerves.

"Oh God!" He was so wrecked he never noticed Rick getting on the bed or hovering over him. He just felt his thick, hard flesh pushing balls deep into his sensitive, used hole and he had to bite Rick's shoulder to keep from screaming.

Rick was too far gone to take anything slow he slammed his hips hard and fast aiming for his own release. It didn't take long before he felt the pleasure coil in the bottom of his stomach and spreading though his whole body as another orgasm racked Drew causing him to clap down around him even tighter. Both men lay together panting for a moment then Rick pulled free with a soft pop. Drew whined at the empty feeling he was left with.

He stood and cleaned himself off and fixed his clothes before turning back to his husband. The site of Drew spread open on the bed, sore, used hole, open and leaking his cum made his balls ache in protest of not being able to get hard again so soon.

Drew watched him with lust hazed eyes as he cleaned himself up waiting for him to untie him so he could get cleaned up but instead he sat down in the chair and turned the tv on. "Rick?"

"Yeah babe?"

"Um, are you going to let me go? I'm kind of messy here and someone is bound to come in soon and check my vitals."

"Yeah? They will have the most beautiful view they've ever got to see. You open and dripping, claimed by me in every way."

He swallowed hard not knowing if he was seriously going to keep him there like that. He left him exposed for another hour before washing him off and cleaning him. Drew was drifting in the post orgasm haze and the softness of his touch and actually yelped and bucked hard to get away from the fake, plastic plug being pushed inside him. "No! Rick please!"

He swatted the upturned backside several times before he finished pushing the large bulbous head of the toy inside him watching his muscles close around the small neck and hold it in place. Then he untied one leg at a time rubbing the feeling back into each limb before gently lowering it to the bed.

He reached back to try and pull the toy out but Rick swatted him again hard this time. "Take it out and you will be punished."

"Why do I have to have it?" he pouted adorably. He liked the toys they used but he was still nervous about doing things in the hospital not to mention after having Rick in him the toy just felt foreign and it stretched him enough to sting.

Rick put his palm against the base of the plug and pushed several times causing Drew to moan and whine. "Because no matter who is in the room I can find a way to move that inside you and get your attention. You think you are fine but you are not coping babe. I'm going to make sure you cope with things the right way. Besides it's hot as hell," he whispered leaning in to kiss him, "and whenever I want to take you all I have to do is pop that out and slide all the way in." He grinned as Drew moaned wantonly.

Pulling a t shirt from his bag he helped Drew into it leaving his bottom half bare much to Drew's chagrin. He put a sheet and blanket over him and laid down holding him close as he curled against his side and buried his head against his neck. "I love you," he kissed his head.

"Love you too," he replied as he drifted to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

The session the night before had really seemed to help settle Drew. Rick removed the plug early that morning and helped him clean up knowing that Topher was going to bring Lynn by. Drew was laying in the bed on his side still in a sub space and Rick was running his fingers through his hair. "Are you sure you're going to be ok while I run home and get some fresh clothes?"

"I want to go home."

"You will soon but you just had surgery and you have another concussion so they need to monitor you." He kissed him, "I'll be quick I promise."

He was restless while Rick was away and couldn't get comfortable. He pulled himself to a sitting position groaning from the pain in his shoulder. Finally managing to sit he moved to the edge of the bed dropping his feet to the floor. The room spun and he held on to the rail to stabilize himself.

The door opened and he looked up knowing it was too soon to be Rick and his heart dropped when Cara walked in. "Please don't," he sighed.

"Look I know you're hurt and that's why you didn't go to the meeting with dad's attorney. I understand." He shook his head looking down at the floor. "Dad's being moved from the local jail in two days to the prison and we have to have your request for sentence reduction before that happens." She opened her bag and laid some papers down on the hospital tray in front of him along with an ink pen. His attorney typed this up and said if you would sign it would suffice since you can't be there."

"Cara how can you ask me to do this? You know what he did to me," his voice was sad.

"I know he hates you I get that but Drew he loves me and he's my daddy. He's always loved me. You can't take him away from me just because of what he did to you! Your friends broke him when he was in Iraq so it's not like he's going to be able to do it again anyway so just move past it!"

He wanted to tell her that his dick didn't have to work for him to torture him. He wanted to scream that there had been many other implements used including hands and fists and those sure as hell still worked but he didn't; he couldn't.

"Please don't take him away from me Drew," she plead. "He's really a good man he just made mistakes."

"He's a good man?" he asked exasperated. "How can anyone who would do something like that be a good man Cara?" He looked up at the celling trying to stave off the tears, "You still think it was all my fault don't you?"

"It doesn't matter whose fault it was," she avoided, "all that matters is that we can fix it."

He stood shakily and walked to the window, "I..I can't."

"Damn it Drew! Thank of someone besides yourself for once! Think of me! Don't I deserve to be happy?" She watched as he started shaking with silent sobs knowing she was getting to him.

He reached for his phone needing to talk to Rick. He was so confused and scared. He didn't want to be a murderer but how could he ask to have him let go after everything he'd done. How could he live with himself if his dad got murdered? He would have killed his sister's dad, her favorite person in the world.

She ripped the phone from his hand knowing if he spoke to Rick he would never sign the papers. "Be a man for once in your life! Sign the papers!" She pushed hard against his injured shoulder making him cringe and stumble backwards. He lost his balance and fell hard to the floor and he writhed around holding his arm.

"Push the call button. I think I re-broke it!" he cried.

"Sign the papers," she picked them up and held them in front of him.

It hit him suddenly just how much she really hated him, how much they all hated him. Maybe it was his fault? He was just broken and worthless, always had been but could he live with being a murderer too?

A nurse knocked and stepped into the room to take his vitals. "Mr. Alister," she saw him on the floor and ran to him. "What happened?"

"I fell," he gritted. "I think it re-broke."

She looked between the two of them feeling the tension and seeing the papers in Cara's hands. "Is everything ok here?"

"Yes," Cara snapped. Drew nodded.

"I'm going to go get some help so we can get you up. Be as still as you can." She jumped up and went to get another nurse.

Drew took the papers from Cara's hands and signed them without even reading them. He didn't care anymore. Tossing them back at her, "Don't ever come back Cara. Don't ever call me your brother again. I don't want to be a member of this family any more than any of you want me to."

Krista chose that moment to pop in for a visit. She ran to him when she saw him on the floor. "Oh my God what happened?"

"Fell," he said softly. "Lost my balance. Nurse has gone to get help."

She had only seen him look as lost and sad as he was now one time and that was after he was attacked and she went to his house with the others. She knew Cara was the cause of it. Getting to her feet she turned on the blond. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. He's a grown man like I could hurt him?" she denied shoving the papers in her bag and turning for the door.

Krista spun her back around, "I don't know what you did but I will find out and when I do I'll make you sorry you did it."

Cara rolled her eyes. "He always did need someone else to fight his battles."

"He doesn't need anyone to fight his battles but he would never hit a woman, though you are far from a woman. I don't know what you are," she looked her up and down. "You're pathetic and heartless!"

"Well he's your friend so you would know pathetic," she muttered walking out the door.

Krista pulled her back and hit her with a right hook knocking her on her ass and into the hallway just as the nurse was coming back with an assistant. "What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Taking out the trash," Krista huffed. Cara got up and wiped the blood from her nose and left. "Let's get him up." She knelt down and grabbed a wrap from the table using it to secure his arm to his torso so it wouldn't jostle his shoulder around when they moved him then they helped him to his feet and back into bed. "Page Scott and tell him we are going to need another x-ray," she told the nurse who scurried to do as she said. She laid the bed flat to relieve some of the pressure on his shoulder then sat down next to him. She was shocked when he put his head in her lap and started crying.


	28. Chapter 29

(Authors Note: I'm sorry to hear that some people are seeing Drew as whiney and weak. It is not my intention that he be seen like that. The original arc of this story was based on years of abuse and rape. Years of him hiding how much pain and torment he'd been through and turning that pain in on himself. When he met Rick it took years for him to get Drew to open up and let him in so he allows Rick to see his vulnerability but no one else. He's a tough soldier, he is the top in his field medically and he always does dangerous life threating rescues without hesitation and he never ever thinks twice about saving anyone no matter what the cost to him. To me that is NOT weak or whiney. It's strong and noble. Everyone has a breaking point and he's been put through hell so he's hit his limit. Thank you to everyone for reading and I try to make everyone happy and make it enjoyable, even use ideas offered to me for stories people want to see. I appreciate that people take the time to read the crap I write and comment. The trials will be over soon.)

Drew woke about one the following afternoon feeling like hell. His mouth is dry and foul, blood was staining the pillow and his shirt from the wound on his shoulder and his head felt like it was about to explode. Going to the bathroom he relieved his bladder then brushed his teeth and shaved. Removing his clothes didn't go so well. He took off the wrap and sling and his broken shoulder couldn't support the weight of his arm. The pain took his breath away and he supported it with his other hand. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself he let go and pulled the shirt over his head as quickly as he could then grabbed the dangling arm again. Stepping to the shower he propped on leg up on the edge of the tub and rested his arm on his thigh turning the water on with his good hand before stepping inside.

The hot water burned his skin making him feel something in the numbness that he was surrounded by. He was tired of his life and the way people apparently saw him. Either he was rude or a hard ass or he was weak and worthless. He want to find a place where he could just be himself and not be judged. He had that with Rick but now he was even questioning that. It took years for him to open up about what happened and he had warned Rick that if he ever broke down enough to tell him everything that it would be a process he had to recover from and he told him he would be with him every step of the way. So far he had but what if it made him undesirable and Rick was just tolerating it?

Part of him said that no one could endure what he had and not break another part said he should go back to keeping everything a secret and never show emotion. If he did that would he be able to continue to show affection to Rick or would he close off completely again and lose him anyway? It was so close to being over. The end was just around the corner with his father's sentencing tomorrow and his mother's trial ending today to be turned over for deliberation tomorrow. Why couldn't things have just held out for a few more days? Why did it have to be this way?

He watched the blood tinged water circle down the drain with a morbid fascination. Apparently he had popped his stitches in his fitful sleep and the bullet wound was opened again. Oh well it wouldn't kill him he thought. He finished cleaning himself then got out and dried off going into the bedroom. Getting out the first aid kit he folded several gauze pads and made a thick bandage taping it to the still bleeding wound. Putting pants on was simple until it came to buttoning and zipping them that took some maneuvering and cursing but he finally managed. The shirt wasn't much easier with his shoulder basically dangling every movement taking his breath away but he managed it. There was no way he could put the complicated wrap on that held his arm in place by himself so he just settled it in the sling, it would have to do.

Jake bounced up and down when he came out of the bedroom excited to see him. "Hey buddy." He saw Rick asleep on the sofa and a half empty bottle of Jameson on the coffee table. Great now he was making his husband drink. Squatting down he picked up his pack and carried it to the kitchen so he could sit it on the table. He grabbed his wallet out of it and shoved it in his back pocket then got his keys. He stopped too leave a bottle of water and some aspirin on the coffee table for Rick gave Jake some treats then left.

Cara was excited as she was going through security at the jail. She had a meeting with her father and his attorney to give them the papers Drew had signed. She hurried along behind with deputy as he led her to the visitation room where Mr. Belt, his attorney was already waiting. It wasn't long before her father was brought in and they all sat at the table. "How are you holding up dad?"

He shrugged, "I'm in jail. How do you think?"

"I have something amazing that will change everything," she beamed as she laid the papers in front of Mr. Belt.

"You got him to sign them?" he nearly fell off his chair.

"What?" Glenn asked in disbelief also. "Why would he do this? What did you do Cara?"

"I just persuaded him by telling him you were not a bad person is all," she lied.

"That's all?" He knew there had to be more to it.

"Look I just explained how much you mean to me and that it wouldn't be fair to make me lose you just because he had problems growing up is all and he agreed. Can't you just be happy that it's done?"

"Cara if you threatened him in anyway or he was under any sort of duress when he signed them then he can resend the agreement so we just need to be sure," Mr. Belt explained.

"He would never tell the judge he was under duress trust me."

Rick woke to Jake licking his face and whimpering. He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it as the light made his head feel like it had imploded. Slowly sitting up trying to keep his stomach in check he took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes again. It was a little better this time and he saw the water and aspirin. Gratefully he picked them up, took the pills and drank the entire bottle of water in one go.

Jake was whimpering and prancing scratching at his leg. He sighed and scratched his head, "need to go out?" Jake answered with a resounding bark that Rick was sure had woken the dead. "Shhh ok ok let's go." He staggered his way through the kitchen to the back door and opened it. Jake ran out and down off the deck as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Leaving the pup outside for a bit to do his business he went to check on Drew. When he got to the bedroom he realized he was gone but the pillow in the bed was stained with blood. He ran to the bathroom to see if he was in there and found his clothes on the floor, his bloodstained shirt and the wrap that went around his injured arm. "Damn it!"

He went to put Jake back in and grabbed his cell dialing Drew's number. It rang several times before going to voice mail. "Please call me. I don't know what's going on but I love you and I need to know that you're alright. If I don't hear from you soon Drew I'm going to go looking for you. I swear I will call out search parties." He hung up the phone and noticed he had a waiting voice mail. He listened to the message from Roger Larkins and thought maybe Drew had contacted them or something and they knew where he was. Maybe that was what Roger wanted to talk to him about. He quickly dialed the number back.

"Hello."

"Roger this is Rick Lincoln, I just got your voice mail."

"I'm so glad you called. This isn't easy for me to do because I really loved Cara but she's turned in to someone I just don't know anymore. She had some papers drawn up by her father's attorney that were a request for leniency in sentencing for Glenn. She said since Drew had gotten hurt that she needed something to give the judge."

"She came by the house not long ago asking him to talk to the judge but he told her no. I didn't know anything about any papers though."

"He signed them yesterday. I don't know why or what she said but he signed them. I know it's none of my business but why would he do that?"

Rick's heart dropped to his feet. "I don't know Roger but thank you for letting me know. I knew something had happened but I didn't know what."

"Maybe he can tell the judge he didn't mean it or something?"

"I'll see what we can do. Thanks for calling Roger," he hung up and put his head in his hands.


	29. Chapter 30

It was 6:00pm and no one had heard from Drew. He didn't know how long he had left before Rick had woke. He had been searching for a few hours now and was running out of places to look. He'd searched all the places they normally went then called everyone they knew and nothing. When he found him and made sure he was ok he was going to kill him! His phone rang and he glanced at the screen before he answered it. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," his voice was tired and soft.

"Where are you Drew?"

"I just needed some time to deal. I'm sorry I worried you."

He pulled his truck over so he could focus on the conversation. Drew sounded weak and he didn't like that. "It's ok I understand needing time but please tell me where you are."

"I just need to rest a little then I will come back. Just needed to hear your voice," he evaded the question.

Something was not right and he knew it. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU DREW!?"

He cringed holding the phone away from his ear until the yelling stopped. "Breakstone Ridge."

Breakstone was an advanced hiking trail they went to when they wanted a real physical workout when they hiked. It was steep, unlevel and took its toll on your body. "You're still on the path?"

"Yes."

"Stay where you are Drew, I'm on my way."

"No it will be dark soon you don't need to try to .."

"What I need is to get my dumbass husband off a ridge. I don't know how you even got up there with a broken collar bone much less haul a pack with supplies."

"I didn't."

"What?"

"I didn't bring a pack. I just got out of the truck and started walking. I just needed to make them stop."

"Make what stop?" he asked as he got out and went through the emergency supplies he kept in the duffel in his truck.

"The memories, the thoughts I just want them to go away. I'm so tired of the doubt, the hate, the pain, the flashbacks all of this has brought on. I can't take much more of this. The rapes and assaults broke my body and heart but this is killing all of me."

He got back in his truck and headed for the ridge. "I know it's been hard on you, I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. Having to relive everything and having to come face to face with the monsters in your life is bad enough but the pressures being put on you are more than most people can handle. I know the pressure Cara has been putting on you to get your father's sentence reduced. I couldn't imagine my sister saying that to me. You have a good heart and I have no idea how but you love them and I know it kills you to hurt them even after what they did to you."

"I signed papers for a reduced sentence," almost a whisper.

"Why would you do that after everything you went through? I don't understand."

"No matter what they did to me I don't want to see them hurt. Tears fell from his eyes, "I know we killed people in war but knowing it would be me that caused my own father's murder is more than I can take."

"Murder? What are you talking about?" He was speeding down the highway as fast as he could toward his destination.

"She said he would be murdered and it would be my fault because I was a kid when he started hurting me and even prisoners hated people like him. I should have never told anyone about it. He would have been convicted of his crimes against other people and then it wouldn't be my fault but I did so it is and I just can't."

He had to get Drew out of the headspace he was in or he was afraid of what might happen. "When your moms trial is over let's take a trip somewhere. Maybe Rome or Italy, you've always wanted to go there."

"We both have jobs and we have to work you know that."

"We both get vacations so we can make it work."

"My phone is dying. I love you Rick."

"I'm almost there babe just hold on." He cried and pounded on the steering wheel as the phone cut off wanting so badly to get to him and reassure him.

Drew sat down on the ground and leaned against a tree. Blood was running down his arms, one from his wound and the other arm because he'd fallen several times and skinned it and both his knees. Cowboy boots were not ideal for climbing steep inclines and rugged terrain but it was all he could put on with one hand. His feet were throbbing along with his heartbeat and he was so thirsty it was hard to swallow. He hadn't even brought water with him. His head was spinning as his mind raced with memories and thoughts of his past and what his future would hold.

It took Rick nearly two hours to climb up to the place where Drew was. The sun had set so he was using a headlamp and a flashlight to guide his way when his light shone on a cowboy boot beside of the path. "Drew!" He rushed over and knelt down beside him. He was covered in scratches and blood. "What happened?"

"Not the best boots for climbing," he rasped. "Water?"

He took a bottle of water out of his bag and handed it to him. He watched him take a few sips knowing to drink slowly. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Do you think you can walk out of here?"

He nodded, "just need to hydrate a bit." Rick sat down and dug a power bar out of his bag opening it and handing it to him.

It took nearly three hours to get him down off the trail as weak and tired as he was. He didn't speak even when they got home and Rick cleaned him up and treated his injuries. They laid down together and Rick spooned behind him pulling him against his chest and just held him. It was all he knew to do.


	30. Chapter 28

Rick was smiling as he walked into the room with a big duffel bag and some take out for their dinner to surprise Drew. "What happened?" He asked when he saw Drew with a new sling in place latching his arm to his torso and wrapping it up. It was obvious that he was medicated but there was something else wrong and he knew it. He went to the bed and sat beside him.

"Nothing, I lost my balance and fell."

"Why were you up to begin with?"

"I don't know I just was." He pushed himself up getting to his feet and went to the closet to get his bag.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be up."

"I'm going home." It's not easy but he manages to get his pants then pulls a t shirt over his head leaving his one arm under the shirt.

"Please don't do this," he was worried.

"I'm a doctor I can deal with it." Taking his bag in his good hand he opened the door and walked out.

Rick hated this. He was back to being the closed off Drew he'd first met in Iraq like all the walls and defenses went back up in the hour he'd been gone. He grabbed his own bag and went to find him. He was at the nurse's station signing out AMA.

The ride home was silent and tense when they arrived things were damn near icy. Marsden looked up in surprise and Jake jumped down and ran to them barking. "Is everything ok?" he asked standing. "You just had surgery."

"Nothing they can do there that I can't do here. Thanks for staying with Jake." He dropped his bag at Rick's feet. "Cash is in my wallet so you can pay him."

"No, you've both been so good to me it's my pleasure to help," he said as Drew walked past him and went into the bedroom. "Um?"

Rick leaned back against the front door and slammed his head back against the wood hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. "I don't know." He took out his wallet and tossed some cash on the coffee table. "Thanks. You're welcome to stay the night since its late." He walked into the kitchen dug out the bottle of Jameson turning it up.

Drew opened his dresser drawer and dug behind a stack of t-shirts grabbing the pill bottle hidden there. Popping the non-childproof cap off he dumped a hand full of pills and tossed them back then went in the bathroom and sipped some water from the faucet swallowing them down before laying down on the bed and going to sleep.

Roger was still up when Cara came in. "Hey, you look happy," he kissed her.

"Best day ever!" she beamed.

"Yeah what happened?"

"Drew agreed to sign the papers for dad."

He nearly choked on his beer, "What?! Why the hell would he do that?"

"Because he knows he was wrong to frame him like he did. Daddy is sick he needs help not prison and Drew was no saint either and I think he's feeling guilty about it.

"What? Guilty of what? Being a kid and not being able to defend himself? Cara come on you have to see how wrong this is. What if it were you that it happened too and someone told you it was all your fault?"

"That's it Roger it didn't happen to me or to Candy so it had to be Drew."

"He's a man your girls! Your father wasn't into girls!"

"How do you know any of it even really happened Roger? He could have just made it up you know and dad admitted to it because he was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

She shrugged, "Drew?"

"You saw the same thing I did when we were kids Cara. The bruises, the cuts, the limp hell mom treated a lot of the injuries he had and I know you're not going to call my mom a liar."

"Let's just not talk about it anymore. I don't want to fight with you." She went to shower before bed.

He picked up his phone and dialed Drew's number but got no answer. He tried Rick's phone but it went to vice mail. "This is Roger, we need to talk please call me as soon as you can."


	31. Chapter 31

Glen Alister's sentencing had drawn a lot of attention because of his former military status. Cara sat behind her father while Drew and Rick sat behind the prosecutor. The judge called court to order.

"Ms. Huston I understand that the defendant's son wishes to make a statement before sentencing?" the judge asked. Rick looked at Drew shocked. He didn't know anything about this. Drew avoided his gaze and kept looking forward.

"Yes Sir."

"This is the first we have heard of this your honor," Mr. Belt protested.

"A victim impact statement does not have to be cleared with you or your client Mr. Belt," the judge explained. "Mr. Alister you may come to the podium and make your statement."

Drew stood, walked through the small gate and stepped to the podium. "I struggled with the decision of whether or not to speak today because Glen Alister isn't going to care about anything I say and it will have no impact on him or his daughter Cara. It took something drastic happening to convince me that this isn't for either of them it's for me. You pled guilty at all the charges against you and I had hoped it was because you knew that you were guilty only to find out it was because you didn't want to go through an embarrassing trial.

I didn't want to go through the embarrassment of going to school bruised and broken. Of having my father force me to suck him and jerk him off when I was just four years old and being told how bad I was to let it happen, how it was my fault that a grown man couldn't stop himself. I spent nine years trying to figure out what about me was so wrong, so broken that the man who was supposed to love me unconditionally would make me do those things. I tried to change to be someone different to be who you were constantly telling me I wasn't; a man. It never helped.

When I turned thirteen the life I didn't think could get any worse turned in to my own personal hell. The man who was supposed to protect me from the dangers in life became the monster under my bed. You took so much more then my innocents that night. My life consisted of fear, shame, guilt and pain from that day forward.

For some unexplainable reason I still did everything in my power to try and earn your love and respect. I did everything you ever asked of me and I didn't understand why it never made a difference. I never understood why you loved my sisters but not me. Why they had a father and all I ever had was fear. I think I understand now. You finally get your wish Mr. Alister, you no longer have a son just your two daughters." Tears were falling but his voice was strong and never faltered.

"Your honor I know that you are the one who will sentence him but I would ask one thing of you when you make your decision. I ask that you show leniency to Mr. Alister. It's my understanding when people like him are put in prison they are often murdered. I never had a father but my sisters have and I don't want to be the one who takes that away from them. I don't want the fact that he might be murdered to be something else that can be twisted into being my fault and I don't want his murder on my head. Thank you for giving me the chance to speak today sir." He turned and went back to his seat.

Rick and most everyone else had tears streaming down their faces as well. He took Drew's hand in his and squeezed it when he sat down.

"Will the defendant please rise," the bailiff said. Glenn and his attorney stood.

"I have been on the bench for twenty-two years and I have seen some bad people in those years but you Mr. Alister are one of the worst. The face that you were dishonorably discharged from the military for what you did to the young men who serve our country is enough for me to find you to be deplorable. What you did to your own child Mr. Alister is so disgusting and horrific that it is almost unimaginable. I am disgusted to have you in my presence sir.

I have taken all the facts into consideration and I have reached a decision. Having already pled guilty of all charges I sentence you the maximum this state will allow, seventy-five years without the possibility of parole." Glenn didn't show any emotion but Cara cried out.

I wish to address Andrew Alister for a moment," he looked at Drew. "I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the hell you lived through and I know that no amount of time that I put your father in prison for will ever fix or change any of that but," he shook his finger at him. "This verdict is not a punishment for you because you did nothing wrong and whatever happens to your father during his sentence is not your fault. He brought this upon himself. I want you to go through the rest of your life knowing that it was never your fault and you were not the problem, your FATHER was. Against all odds you seem to have grown into a stable, productive member of society and that is something to be proud of. You son are more of a man then your father could have ever hoped to be.

And to Ms. Cara Alister," he turned to look at her and her eyes got wide. "When I got papers from your father's attorney that Andrew had signed asking to free Mr. Alister I had questions as you might suspect. I placed a call to Ms. Huston's office and asked if she knew anything about this. She informed me that she didn't but would investigate." He picked up some papers and held them up. "I have here the results of that investigation. During an interview with your father he was asked why Drew would have signed something like that. He told her that you coerced him by first telling him that he would be murdering your father then continuing to pressure him emotionally by begging him not to take your father away from you." Rick glared at her as she squirmed in her seat.

"She then spoke to hospital staff, as Andrew was in the hospital at the time these were signed and she found out that he managed to re-break his shoulder while you were there getting these signed. Now being on pain medication as Andrew was at the time and being told he should not have been out of bed it leads me to a place that really doesn't look good for you. You see being a doctor your brother knew that the fact that he was on narcotic pain medication alone would have immediately made these papers void which leads me to believe the only reason he signed them is that he was under some sort of duress. You're very lucky that he refuses to press charges against you because I would throw the book at you young lady! From your father's statements to Ms. Huston I do however find you guilty of tampering with evidence and you will be taken into custody immediately following dismissal of this court.

"This sentencing hearing is now adjourned," he banged his gavel.

"All rise," the bailiff said. Everyone stood. Several bailiff's took Glenn and Cara into custody and led them from the courtroom.

Rick turned to Drew, "let's go home babe." He nodded and walked out of the courthouse on auto pilot. On the ride home Rick held his hand. "I'm proud of you for making that statement."

He shrugged, "I needed to hear it, for other people to hear it. What mom did has been laid out for the world in a trial but no one besides the court would have ever known how I felt about what he did if I hadn't." the rest of the ride home was spent in silence.

They went inside and Drew sat down on the sofa. Jake jumped up and gave him a kiss. He smiled and started scratching his ears. Rick got them both a beer then sat down beside him. "When were you going to tell me about Cara?"

"What was I going to say? My sister upset me so much that I stood when I shouldn't have and I was so drugged that she was able to push me off balance?" He shook his head. "I get that people think I'm weak but even I have a little pride left."

"Who in the hell thinks your weak?"

"I do. It's what I have been since the last attack. I've relied on you too much, asked you to put up with my sniveling and crying. I've shown emotions I spent years hiding because I was ashamed of them."

"I've spent years trying to get you to show them because hiding them was killing you. Drew you put up so many walls that you were dying inside. When you finally let me in I vowed I would do whatever it took too continue to break those walls away until you weren't hiding anymore. What you went through would have broken most people. I really don't think being emotional through this is weakness like I said before. Most people would have been medicated through it." He put his hand under Drew's chin and turned his head so that he was looking at him. "You are there for me just like I am for you. I love taking care of you as much as you love taking care of me. Don't deny me that chance because someone made a comment."

He leaned in and kissed him. "I don't know what I did to get lucky enough for you to marry me but I'm never going to let you go." He turned and put his legs up pulling Rick to set between them resting against him. Jake decided he was being left out and jumped in Rick's lap wagging his tail so hard his whole body was shaking. They both laughed.

They didn't move very far from the couch for the rest of the night. They watched movies, ordered pizza and held each other the rest of the night.


	32. Chapter 32

"Hey," T smiled as he approached. "Are cleared to be back already?"

"Yeah, not much use but I can do some stuff," Drew said as he pinned his badge on. "Topher said to make sure I had Krista or Paul with me to help."

"If you need me just yell."

"Thanks," he nodded and walked out of the locker room.

"Do you have a minuet?"

He turned around and took a deep breath. "I don't want any trouble tonight Molly. I just want to do my job ok?"

"Let me buy you a cup of coffee before shift starts?" He consented and followed her out to the break area. He sat down at a table and she brought him a cup of coffee then sat down across from him. "Thank you."

"For what? You bought the coffee."

"For saving my life. You took a bullet for me even with the way I have been treating you."

He hated this part of helping people. The attention made him uncomfortable. "I seem to be a walking target so it was no problem. Sort of normal for me really. I should start wearing body armor," he thought out loud.

She laughed, "I know you don't like people fussing over you. How can I ever repay you?"

"I didn't do it so you would feel obligated to me." They sat in silence for a moment. "If I ask you something will you give me an honest answer?"

"Sure," she nodded.

"What did I do to make the nurses act the way they are? I tried to work with Kenny to make everyone happy and it seems like the more I did the worse it was for me. Even you and I thought we were friends."

She looked down at her coffee, "it's complicated."

"So you're not going to tell me," he sighed.

"It's the new union rep. He's telling all the nurses we should refuse to do specific things because if we do then the hospital will be obligated to increase our pay to cover the extra work. A lot of us know it doesn't work that way. The things he is telling us to refuse to do are things that are in our job description and if we refuse we will be fired. I tried to explain that but he's convinced the majority of nurses that it will work and we are being pressured to comply even threatened if we don't. When you started working with Kenny to make things better the changes were better than we hoped for and we told him about it hoping he would be ok with us working. It backfired because he started telling all the nurses to start ostracizing you. I know now that he told us that because he hoped you would stop trying to help us like you were and it worked."

"Why would he do all of this? I thought a union rep worked for the betterment of its workers?"

"He has ulterior motives I'm sure but I don't know what they are."

"You said you were pressured to comply. How does he pressure you?"

"Mostly its other nurses telling us that we are running their careers and stuff but when I didn't comply my tires were slashed and I got a letter telling me that I better watch my back."

"Why didn't you just say something? You have to get all the nurses who want to work together and go to someone over his head in your union. If they need you to get information I will do all I can to help and I will go to bat for you with the hospital and tell them what's going on if I need to." He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I will make sure you get to and from work safe too if you need. I even know some SWAT officers that might do some extra security work if you need them too," he winked.

"After the way I treated you why would you want to help me?"

"Because it's what I do," he smiled. "I fix things." He stood, "let's get to work shall we?" They walked back into the hospital together.

They were fairly busy tonight but no one had to go out on life flight. Drew grabbed another chart and headed toward room four the Paul in tow. As soon as they approached the 10 year old boy threw up all over Paul. "Whoa!" he jumped back.

Drew laughed, "Nice aim buddy. My name is Dr. Alister."

"I'm Jimmy."

"I'm Nancy," his mother offered.

He nodded to both of them. "Any pain or are you just nauseous?"

"Hurts here," he pointed to a spot.

"Go get cleaned up Paul and send Ragosa in please," he said after Paul had cleaned the floor. He grabbed the ultrasound machine with his good arm and pulled it over and turned it on. "Lean back for me," he lifted the boy's shirt when he did.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to look at your appendix. This gel will be cold but it won't hurt I promise." He squeezed the gel on and pressed the wand to his stomach.

Ragosa came in, "Paul said you needed me?"

"Yeah take over," he handed off the wand so he could work the computer part of the machine. He pointed at a spot, "That's your appendix and it's about to rupture it looks like." He turned to nurse Jenny, "call Scott down for a consult please."

He turned to Nancy, "We are going to have one of our surgeons come down for a consult. Don't worry we caught it before it ruptured so it will be a simple surgery."

The rest of the night went quickly and he was grateful because his shoulder was killing him. He showered and got dressed which was tricky but he managed and he slipped his sling back on. When he walked into the locker room Krista stepped up behind him and took the wrap part of the sling. "Ever heard of asking for help?"

"I wasn't going to ask for help in the shower," he laughed and let her put the wrap around him.

"How did it hold up tonight?"

"Better than I thought it would to be honest. It hurts but I was afraid it would be unbearable." He slung his pack on his good shoulder and they walked out. "It sucks not being fully functional though. I really miss it."

"You'll be back on life flight before you know it," she hugged him.

His phone rang, "Hello?"

"Drew this is Lynn. The jury just notified the judge they have reached a verdict in your mother's trial. How quick can you get to the court house?"

"I'm leaving work now but I need Rick."

"I will call him and have him meet us there ok. Just get here as quick as you can. The judge agreed to give me a chance to get you here."

"Ok."

She watched him hang up the phone. "What's going on?"

"They reached a verdict for my mother. I have to go."

"Let me drive you."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" She led him to her car.


	33. Chapter 33

Drew took Rick's hands, "Last one then this will all be over and we can move on with our lives right?"

Rick smiled, "Last one. Let's do this." Krista put her arm around Drew's waist and they stepped into the court room and took a seat behind Lynn.

It was only a few minutes until the bailiff called court to order and the jury was seated. Judge Calvin called the court to order. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"Yes your honor," the jury foreman told him and he handed the bailiff the verdict for the judge to read. Judge Calvin read it and handed it back to his bailiff who returned it to the foreman.

"Will the defendant please rise?" the judge said. Mrs. Alister and her attorney Mr. Ross stood. "Will the jury foreman please read the verdict?"

"We find the defendant guilty of facilitating first degree rape, first degree sexual penetration, first degree sodomy, first degree sexual assault and first degree assault. While the defendant did not commit these acts herself she asked for them to be committed on her son for the purposes of instilling fear and forcing compliance."

"Because she did not commit the acts herself we are hindered by the law on the amount of time we can give her. We sentence her to the maximum of twelve years with the first possibility of parole in four years. She will receive mental health counseling while incarcerated."

"Does everyone on the jury agree with this decision?" the judge asked. One by one each juror agreed.

"Mrs. Alister I think you are just as disgusting as the men who perpetrated these crimes and I wish law would permit that you be punished just the same as they were. You are disgusting and horrible and you do not deserve the chance to see freedom again. Please remove the defendant from my courtroom. Jury is dismissed and court is adjourned."

Mrs. Biggs stood and turned to Drew "I know it wasn't an ideal sentence."

"Its fine," his face was neutral. "If that is all the time they thinks she deserves then that's what she should have. It's not up to me."

"It sucks," Krista said. "She deserves to be put under the jail not get a chance at parole."

"We will be at every parole hearing and be sure she serves her max sentence," Lynn told him. "Let your big sister take you guys to lunch?"

"You up for it babe? You look tired," Rick asked.

"Yeah it sounds good," he nodded.

"Krista will you join us?" Lynn asked.

"I don't want to intrude," she shook her head.

"Please," Drew rolled his eyes.

"Family doesn't intrude," Rick added.

"You will make me not feel like the third wheel," Lynn mock whispered.

"Ok then sure," she smiled.

They came home after a great lunch with Lynn and Krista. They went into the kitchen where Rick took their left over steak out of the doggie bag and started cutting it up. Drew laughed as Jake whimpered and whined dancing around. He grabbed a piece of the meat and knelt down, "this what you want buddy?" Jake pranced over and barked. "Sit." Jack sat and turned his little head to the side. "Good boy!" he gave him the steak.

Rick took the rest of the meat he cut up, put it in Jake's bowl and put it in the floor. He ran over so fast he slid and bumped into the dish. He washed his hands and cleaned up the mess. "You need to get some sleep," he said walking over and kissing his husband.

"Mmmmm," he deepened the kiss slipping his good hand down and cupping his husbands bottom giving it a squeeze. "What if I don't want to go to sleep?"

"As nice as that sounds I'd say that you will be going to sleep. You're exhausted and in pain babe," he kissed him again. "Now when you wake up is a whole different story," he teased. Grabbing a bottle of water he took his hand he led him to the bedroom. "Take your pain pill," he said as he pushed him to sit on the bed and handed him the water. He carefully helped him out of his clothes and pulled the covers back so he could lay down on the cool sheets.

Drew sighed contentedly as Rick spooned behind him loving the feel of his clothes pressed against his bare skin. "You are such a tease!"

"Me?" he asked innocently, running his nails lightly from his thigh to his hip again and back. He grinned as the flesh twitched under his fingers. "You're too hot for me to keep my hands off of."

"I don't want you to keep your hands off of me. In fact I want them on me more," he moved Rick's hand to where he was aching to be touched moaning when he gave it a tug.

He was defenseless against him and ended up touching and making love to him for nearly an hour before they both fell asleep.

They could finally move on and be happy now that the monsters were being punished for all the evil that they had done.

He went to work that night happier than he had been in quite some time. Everyone fed off of his mood and it made the shift light hearted and fun for everyone. "You're looking much better," Topher told him.

"Feeling pretty good," he nodded. "Thanks for getting the administrator off of my back."

"Glad too. I just wish you would have told me sooner then it wouldn't have gotten so bad."

"What the hell?" Ragosa squealed as he jumped up out of his chair, his ass dripping wet. He spun and pointed at Kenny and Drew, "I'll get you both!"

"It was him," they both said and pointed at each other.

"Oh no it's starting again isn't it?" Paul asked.

"Yep," TC said. "Things are getting back to normal again!"

"Oh lord," Jordan laughed.

"Y'all better get off my desk and get back to work," Molly huffed then winked at Drew. He smiled back at her. "All but you, you have my permission to sit for tonight. You can have Kenny's chair," she told him.

"Hey!" Kenny said indignantly.

Drew laughed and stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm special!"

"Juice box and helmet special maybe," TC smirked then dodged a pen Drew threw at him.

"You're just jealous!"

"He is," Jordan nodded. "He's all sensitive like that," she played.

"You!" TC scoffed and tickled her.

Paul and Krista approached, "Why did Ragosa look like he wet himself?" Paul asked. Everyone laughed.

(Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story enough to keep reading as I will continue the series with The Honeymoon!)


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